Chapel Down A Touch of Sparkle 2023

Derek Chang - Really impressed with this

8/10

Picked this up from Chapel Down on a day trip to Kent and honestly wasn't expecting much from an English red. But this is properly good — loads of fruit but not in a jammy way, more like everything's in the right place. At £15 it's a no-brainer for your next barbecue.

Zara Al-Hassan - Expected more honestly

5/10

Maybe I was expecting too much given all the hype around Chapel Down but this didn't really grab me. It's fine, perfectly drinkable, but at 14% it felt a bit heavy for what it is. My partner liked it more than I did so maybe it's just not my thing.

Emily Thomas - Great dinner party bottle

7/10

Brought this to a friend's birthday dinner and it went down really well with the lamb. It's got a nice structure to it and doesn't taste thin like some English reds I've tried. A couple of people asked where I got it which is always a good sign.

Herbert Muller - Solid English red

7/10

The wine shop guy recommended this when I said I wanted to try more English wines. It's got a firm backbone to it and the flavours are nicely balanced. Not going to blow your mind but it's a quality bottle and I like supporting local producers.

Priya Sharma - Nice but not sure about the price

6/10

It's a decent wine, don't get me wrong, but £15.25 for an English red is a big ask when you can get a solid Côtes du Rhône for less. The finish is clean and it's well made, I just kept thinking I'd rather have spent the money on something from further south.

Daisy Miller - Chapel Down doing reds now??

8/10

I know Chapel Down for their sparkling stuff so grabbed this out of curiosity. Genuinely surprised — there's real depth here and it kept getting better as it opened up. Not your typical easy-drinking red, it actually makes you slow down and pay attention. Would definitely buy again.

Daniel Oyama - Lovely with a roast

8/10

Had this with Sunday roast beef and it was spot on. You can tell the fruit has been handled well because everything tastes clean and precise. It lingers nicely after each sip without being overpowering. Already ordered another couple of bottles from their website.