Hambledon Vineyards 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. Ian Kellett acquired Hambledon in 1999 with a view to restoring Hambledon to its former glory, and research convinced him that the site was perfectly suited to the production of sparkling wines. The Newhaven chalk on which the vines grow was formed on the seabed of the Paris basin some 65 million years ago and is found in the best Chardonnay areas of the Côtes des Blancs in Champagne. In 2005 a 10-acre ‘test bed’ of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier was planted on a combination of 27 different vine clones and rootstocks to see which gave the best results. Hambledon now comprises over 200 acres of vineyards and is the only gravity-fed, state-of-the-art winery in the UK. In 2011 Hervé Jestin, one of Champagne’s leading chefs de cave and renowned expert in minimal intervention winemaking, joined Hambledon and now directs all winemaking at the Estate alongside Felix Gabillet. For their Classic Cuvée, all the grapes were pre-selected and handpicked from their private estate, 88% from the 2017 harvest. They left the wines resting for six months on fine lees before blending them with reserve wines before bottling.

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