Hambledon Classic Cuvee Rose NV

Established in 1952 by Major General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones, Hambledon in the South Downs is England’s oldest commercial vineyard.

In a nutshell: Ian Kellett acquired Hambledon Vineyard in 1999. As a passionate wine lover, Ian was intrigued by the winemaking heritage of the property. After analysing the commercial potential for English wine, he began studying oenology at Plumpton College in Sussex with a view to restoring Hambledon to its former glory.

Research from 2001-2003 convinced him that sparkling wines were the future and in 2005 Ian planted a 10-acre ‘test bed’ of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier to see which of the 27 different combinations of vine clones and rootstocks gave the best results. In 2010 one of the other final pieces of the jigsaw slotted into place with the appointment of Herve Jestin, formerly one of Champagne’s leading chefs de cave.

All of Hambledon Vineyard’s fruit is 100% estate grown on its 200 acres of vineyards. Grapes are harvested by hand and vinified in the only gravity-fed, state-of-the-art winery in the UK. In 2018 Hambledon cut down into their chalk soils to build an underground wine cellar to store up to 2 million bottles of wine maturing sur lattes and at the perfect temperature and humidity for aging. A new tasting room, restaurant and visitor centre is also planned in 2021 and the winery has recently invested in a new biomass generator that will convert vine prunings into energy that will power the entire Estate. Today, the House produces three main cuvées, all of which are currently Chardonnay-led, non-vintage blends.

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir

The chalk on which the vines grow was formed on the seabed of the Paris basin some 65 million years ago. The same chalk, with the same Belemnite content, is found in the best Chardonnay areas of the Cotes des Blancs in Champagne and is thought to be a key factor in the quality of the wines.

90% Chardonnay 10% Pinot Noir

For the Classic Cuvée Rose, 90% of the grapes were from the 2016 harvest, pre-selected and handpicked from their private estate. Aged a minimum of 45 months.

A beautiful, vivid wild-strawberry pink with a hue of red onion skin on the rim. On the nose, magnolia blossom is followed stridently by perfumed wild strawberry compote with hints of buttered white sourdough toast. The palate is rich and mouth filling with flavours of strawberry balanced by zingy tart cranberry and pithy Amalfi lemon notes. The texture is creamy with a clean, crisp, yeasty finish.