Daniel and Nicola Ham 'Field Notes 1' 2021

Daniel and Nicola Ham started out as ecologists, before Dan trained as a winemaker. He worked at Ridgeview and then Langham before starting his own project, Offbeat, in 2018 with Nicola joining him full-time. It’s a journey that has taken them full-circle, with their ecological background inspiring their approach - to act more as observers than controllers. In wine terms, that means respect for terroir, careful farming, and lo-fi winemaking with no additions. Leaving the Offbeat name behind in 2025, they have begun a new chapter and we're excited to see what the future holds for them!

Field Notes 1 is a supple and elegant blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc from clay soils in Crouch Valley, Essex. Whole bunch Pinot Noir was suspended in a tank of direct-pressed Pinot Blanc juice, sealed for a gentle three week infusion, with the free run juice split between an acacia Barrel, a fifth-fill Burgundy barrel, and a small glass carboy to age outside. After 11 months, the three were blended together and bottled via gravity with no additions.