Elizabeth Hawthornthwaite in elizabethandwine.com "beautifully poised"

Weyborne’s new Oriana Golden Spur is all about precision, place, and a little bit of magic and it was a privilege to be at the launch at Clarette restaurant last week, hearing Ben Abric and William Sharpley lift the veil on how this wine is made.

£45 · weyborne.com Also at Hawkins Bros, Wine & Earth, Farr Vintners and Bibendum.

What makes Oriana Golden Spur stand out?• Highest point of the South Downs National Park – a 25-acre single estate, entirely grown and made on their own land.• An intentionally oxidative winemaking style: open-tank fermentation, 3% barrel, full malolactic – building texture, depth and those savoury edges I love. • Blend: 46% Chardonnay, 53% Pinot Noir, 1% Meunier.

In the glass: elegant orchard and stone fruit, with warm spice, baked apple, caramelised citrus peel and toasted almond. A chalky mineral line keeps everything beautifully poised.

Food pairing? Seared scallops or a wild mushroom risotto – something with richness for that texture to play against.

Elizabeth Hawthorthwaite, elizabethandwine.com, 22nd November 2025