Gently oaked with a prominent fruit profile and notes of nuts, hay and oatmeal
Wild Kite Wines
Chardonnay
About product
Vineyard: Arun Valley Vineyard in The Haven, West Sussex, grown on sandy loam over Wealden Clay. The site has a gentle North-facing slope, looking towards Leith Hill. Tributaries of the River Arun flow around the land on which the vineyard is planted.
Vintage: 2025 (on sale late 2026)
Appearance: golden/lemon yellow.
Nose: prominent orchard fruit profile (green apple, pear skin and white peach), layered with citrus (lemon zest) and a fine mineral line. The old oak lends a delicate savoury nuance without overt impact. Notes of nuts, hay and oatmeal.
Palate: a precise and linear Chardonnay. fresh acidity drives the wine, giving clarity and lift. The Wealden Clay on which the vines are grown and the warm 2025 growing season shows in breadth through the mid-palate (rounded but not heavy) while the old barrel fermentation contributes texture rather than flavour. A subtle phenolic grip from the grape skins adds structure and tension.
In brief: a finely tunes, cool climate chardonnay that prioritises purity, texture and site expression over overt oak influence.
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TASTING NOTES
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THE VINEYARD
Our wines are grown at Arun Valley Vineyard in one of the UK’s most biodiverse landscapes, where ancient oaks and the River Arun shape our vines. Our rare mix of clay, silt and sand brings depth and character, setting us apart from many chalk-based English vineyards. Farming regeneratively and running entirely on biodiesel, we nurture a self-sustaining ecosystem to craft wines truly woven into the landscape.
THE WINERY
We wanted a vineyard, but at Arun Valley we inherited a winery too - albeit little more than a metal shed when we arrived. In our first year, alongside former winemaker for Balfour, James Snowden, we transformed it in time for the early 2025 harvest, bringing production on site. Today we craft both still and sparkling wines, with an ambitious single-barrel Pinot Meunier quietly ageing in French oak - a proud step towards making everything ourselves at Arun Valley.
ABOUT US
After retiring from careers in pharmaceutical law, we swapped London for a 19-acre site in West Sussex’s Arun Valley. A pair of kites nesting in nearby oaks inspired the name Wild Kite, symbolising our bold new chapter. Embracing the steep learning curve, we celebrated our first harvest in October 2025 and now craft Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay in our on-site winery with winemaker James Snowden - proof that second chapters can be the most rewarding.
