WHITE WINES
White wine can be made from any grapes, dark or green-skinned. The skins though are removed before fermentation to ensure the wine does not get the tannins or reddening. The flavours can be zingy and citrus, or floral and flowery; equally the winemaker can add bread flavours or honey notes by stirring the yeast or storing in oak. Wine Guy on Skye has curated a special selection to offer wines across that spectrum of flavours.
Our current collection
Skye’s Chardonnay,
English Chardonnay 2022
Balfour Winery, Kent, UK.
This English chardonnay created and crafted by the Balfour Winery in Kent is inspired by their home, with flavours reminiscent of white blossom, thyme and fresh lemons. Coming from vineyards planted specifically for the creation of English Chardonnay, ‘Skye’s Chardonnay’ is made from Burgundy clones planted on Middle Strackney Wood and Old Eight Acre, the vineyard’s 2 warmest Chardonnay Vineyards which allows them to pick last to maximise phenolic ripeness.
Whilst we’d love it if it was named after the Misty Isle, ‘Skye’s Chardonnay’ is actually named after the owners daughter! The Head Winemaker at Balfour, Fergys Elias, describes this excellent white wine as “a Chardonnay for those who favour balance, freshness and sophistication”. This is chardonnay is grown from Burgundian vines planted in the Kentish clay soils. Being unoaked, it is all about the character of the wine that delivers zesty, fresh and Chablis-style wine, but it also has texture from time on the lees, battonage and a full malolactic fermentation….. so it sits on the yeasty bits, gets a good stirring in the barrel and so you get a nice lingering buttery flavour notes and texture. It just shows that you don’t need to hide behind oak to get a great wine.
![Skyes-Chardonnay](https://wineguyonskye.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Skyes-Chardonnay.jpg)
- Grapes: 100% Chardonnay.
- Flavours: A clean citrus-driven palate with notes of lime and melon rind. A delightful, aromatic and complex Chardonnay
- Food Pairing: here’s a freshness and vibrancy to this wine which makes it an excellent pairing for fresh salads. Alternatively, it’s extra weight (balanced with the citrus character) creates a delicious counterpoint to oily fish dishes and shellfish, as well as creamy sauced chicken meals..
- Alcohol: 12%
£28
Chade Éculle Chablis
Burgundy, France
Produced using 100% handpicked single-variety chardonnay grapes, this AOC Chablis from Domaine de Claude Écuelle in Burgundy, France delivers all the flavours you’d expect from more well known and more pricey chablis. The juice from these grapes picks up the limestone and loams from the slopes that also have varying exposure to the sun and rain. The grape clusters then undergo malolactic fermentation and aging on the lees for at least 10 months. It is a perfect introduction to all the characteristics of a Burgundy white wine.
The bouquet exudes citrus aromas, complemented by hints of white fruit, apple, and fresh grass. On the palate, it is rich and oily, with mineral undertones, zestful vivacity, and saline nuances. Perfect for sun downers on the patio and accompanying seafood, salads and chicken.
![Wine-Guys_skye-Chade-Ecuelle-Chablis](https://wineguyonskye.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Wine-Guys_skye-Chade-Ecuelle-Chablis.jpg)
- Grapes: 100% Chardonnay.
- Flavours: Fresh citrus, green apples with the delicacies of being on the lees for 10 months.
- Food Pairings: Ideal for sun downers and seafood!
- Alcohol: 12.5%
£26
Kingscote Silvan Bacchus
West Sussex, England
A family owned vineyard in the shadow of the Bluebell Line steam railway. With over 70 acres of vines and several different varietals of grape in the ground, they are able to produce a significant number of bottles per year. They have operating organically since 2019 as sustainability and the environment is paramount to them in order to reflect and protect the beauty and quality of our land.
The Bacchus grape is flourishing in the English cooler climates delivering quality wines with the similar characteristics as New Zealand and French Sauvignon Blanc with some elements of floral tones similar to elderflower. If you like Sauvignon Blanc, give this a go as an alternative – you won’t be disappointed.
![WIne-Guy-Skye-Silvan-bacchus](https://wineguyonskye.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/WIne-Guy-Skye-Silvan-bacchus.jpg)
- Grapes: 100% Bacchus.
- Flavours: Unique, rich, creamy and indulgent.
- Aging: 2019 – By very lightly oaking this Bacchus, it has softened the acidities beautifully, creating a round, velvety and fuller bodied wine.
- Food Pairing: Pairs well with everything from seafood to chicken. If you like Sauvignon Blanc, try this as you enjoy the awesome sunsets over the Outer Hebs. Ideal as an aperitif ahead of dining at some of the best restaurants on Skye.
- Alcohol: 11.5% vol.
£27
Kingscote Sauvignon Blanc
West Sussex, England
Created alongside its sister wine in Sussex, this is an enticing English Sauvignon Blanc that ensures you get the flavours associated with New World SB’s but without the over zesty impact these are straying to deliver. This wine has an enticing and aromatic nose with hints of jasmine and the subtitles of blackcurrant. These lead you to exotic fruits on the palate as well as the expected citrus flavours, leaving a crisp and lingering finish that comes from the balance of the English Sauvignon Blanc grapes and Pinot Blanc.
This is a very moorish wine! Perfect to enjoy on its own, with seafood, light summer dishes or even fish and chips from the Oyster Shed!
![Wine-guy-skye-Kingscote-Sauvignon-Blanc](https://wineguyonskye.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Wine-guy-skye-Kingscote-Sauvignon-Blanc.jpg)
- Grapes: English Sauvignon Blanc/Pinot Blanc
- Flavours: Exotic fruits, crisp green apples
- Food Pairings: Classic Skye dishes of seafood and fish and chips, salmon and scallops.
- Alcohol: 12%
£24
Terres Dorees Beaujolais Blanc Classic Chardonnay 2021
Burgundy, France
Whilst there have always been white Beaujolais, made from chardonnay, it rarely leaves France or indeed the region itself. This Chardonnay comes from the southern end of Burgundy where there is more limestone in the soil, giving hallmark minerality to underpin the lovely creamy texture and roundness of fruit on the palate. Whilst we are familiar with the young, simple wines known as Beaujolais Nouveau, Jean-Paul Brun, the best-known winemaker in the region, builds more complexity to create a food friendly wine that is equally content to be a sunset glass.
![WIne-Guy-Skye-Terres-Dorees](https://wineguyonskye.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/WIne-Guy-Skye-Terres-Dorees.jpg)
- Grapes: Chardonnay.
- Flavours: Dry. Apple, citrus and some tropical flavours within its creamy finish.
- Aging: No oak.
- Food Pairings: Seafood – Skye lobster and Langoustines. Chicken – including creamy sauces. Try it with Skye Beef carpaccio too. Sundowners on Coral Beach will be memorable with this classic chardonnay!
- Alcohol: 12.5%
£26