Hambledon, Classic Cuvée Rosé, Sparkling, Hampshire, England
Critics reviews
90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir. 90% 2017. All estate-grown fruit from Hambledon's 200 acres of vineyards. Hand-harvested grapes are vinified in 'the only state-of-the-art, gravity-fed winery in the UK'. The wine is aged for 36 months. Winemaker Hervé Jestin. pH 3.12, RS 10 g/l. Bottle weight 775 g.
Lots of intensity on the nose – and massive tension on the palate. It tastes, and almost looks, like a white wine. Not really sure why it needs to be a rosé! Good stuff that should age well.
Drink 2023 - 2027
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com (October 2022)
A complex, savoury nose of biscuits and flinty summer fruits. An umami-rich, concentrated palate of red apple, raspberry and strawberry. 45+ months of ageing on lees provide more texture, while dosage at 10 g/l gives honeyed charm to the bright and elegant red fruits. Long with red apple peel on the finish. A beautifully poised summer fizz.
Drink 2022 - 2025
Sylvia Wu, Decanter.com (April 2022)
About this WINE
Hambledon Vineyard
Hambledon Vineyard has a long and fascinating history. It’s the location of the first English commercial vineyard, courtesy of the Francophile Sir Guy Salisbury Jones, who developed the vineyards in the early fifties. After a period of decline, the vineyard was purchased by Ian Kellett in 1999 and his investments of both patience and capital are now yielding fruit, quite literally, in the form of some of the best Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes in the country.
Hiring the renowned oenologist Hervé Jestin – a celebrated pioneer of organic viticulture and the Cellar Master at Champagne Leclerc Briant – has propelled Hambledon back to the forefront of the wine industry. Hervé, winemakers Felix Gabillet and Sam Picton – Head and Assistant Winemaker respectively – to produce exquisite expressions of the classic Champagne grape varieties, yet with a uniquely English character.
In 2023, we were delighted to acquire part ownership of Hambledon alongside our partners Symington Family Estates. It sees us combine our family businesses, both of which have deep roots, long histories and share a steadfast commitment to sustainable viticulture and winemaking.
We are delighted to be working with this outstanding English winery. Sparkling wine in England goes from strength to strength, and we are confident that Hambledon will prove to be the finest of them all. Sir Guy would have been very proud.
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county in South East England that has become celebrated for its production of English wine, and English sparkling wine in particular.
Leading producers here include Hambledon Vineyard, Exton Park Vineyard and Hattingley Valley. It is also home to Bride Valley Vineyard, founded by the late wine writer Steven Spurrier and his wife, Bella.
Hampshire has long been an important place for Berry Bros. & Rudd: we have offices and warehouses in Basingstoke and Andover.
Champagne blend
Which grapes are included in the blend, and their proportion, is one of the key factors determining the style of most Champagnes. Three grapes are used - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier.
26% of vineyards in Champagne are planted with Chardonnay and it performs best on the Côtes des Blancs and on the chalk slopes south of Epernay. It is relatively simple to grow, although it buds early and thus is susceptible to spring frosts. It produces lighter, fresher wines than those from Burgundy and gives finesse, fruit and elegance to the final blend. It is the sole grape in Blancs de Blancs, which are some of the richest long-lived Champagnes produced.
Pinot Noir accounts for nearly 40% of the plantings in Champagne and lies at the heart of most blends - it gives Champagne its body, structure, strength and grip. It is planted across Champagne and particularly so in the southern Aube district.
The final component is Pinot Meunier and this constitutes nearly 35% of the plantings. Its durability and resistance to spring frosts make the Marne Valley, a notorious frost pocket, its natural home. It ripens well in poor years and produces a soft, fruity style of wine that is ideal for blending with the more assertive flavours of Pinot Noir. Producers allege that Pinot Meunier lacks ageing potential, but this does not deter Krug from including around 15% of it in their final blends.
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Description
Hambledon Vineyard has a long and fascinating history. Not only does the village have the reputation as the cradle of cricket, long before Lord’s, it seems, but it is also the location of the first English commercial vineyard, courtesy of the Francophile Sir Guy Salisbury Jones, who developed the vineyards in the early 1950s.
After an uneventful hiatus, the vineyard was purchased by Ian Kellett in 1999, and his investments of both patience and capital are now yielding fruit, quite literally, in the form of some of the best-located Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes in the country. A beautiful vivid pink with a bright red berry hue, it displays an array of wild strawberry aromas on the nose that lead to a generous, complex palate of buttered toast, ripe lemon and juicy hedgerow fruit.
Berry Bros. & Rudd
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