Vineyards and winemaking
Carpe Diem Red brings together Pinot Noir, Regent and Rondo selected from Knightor's Cornish vineyards. Cornwall's maritime climate gives a long, cool growing season, so the fruit is left on the vine as late as conditions allow and harvested by hand into small trays to protect the berries.
After gentle crushing, the varieties are fermented with regular punch-downs to build colour, flavour and supple tannin. A measured use of press wine and light oak maturation adds shape without overwhelming the bright red fruit, producing a distinctly English red with freshness at its centre.
Tasting notes
Appearance
Medium ruby red with clear crimson highlights and a gently evolved rim.
Nose
Ripe cherry and strawberry are lifted by cracked black pepper, blackcurrant leaf and a touch of woodland spice. The aroma is open, savoury and quietly distinctive.
Palate
Medium to light-bodied, with juicy red fruit, fresh acidity and soft, well-judged tannins. Regent and Rondo lend colour and peppery depth, while Pinot Noir brings fragrance and delicacy. The finish is dry, supple and lightly spiced.
Food pairing
Serve slightly cool with lamb cutlets, roast chicken thighs, grilled monkfish with bacon, or a beetroot and mushroom Wellington. The wine's gentle structure makes it especially useful when a full-bodied red would dominate the dish.
Background story
Knightor is based near St Austell Bay, with vineyards at Portscatho and Seaton on Cornwall's southern coast. The winery specialises in small-batch English still wines, sparkling wines and vermouth, using the county's mild maritime conditions to create bottles defined by freshness and aromatic clarity.
Carpe Diem was conceived as an accessible expression of English-grown varieties rather than an imitation of a warmer-climate red. This 2017 is now fully mature, so individual bottles may show some variation; well-stored examples should be enjoyed for their evolved fruit, savoury spice and light-footed structure.
