2015 Berry Bros. & Rudd, English Sparkling, Blanc de Blancs by Hambledon Vineyard, Hampshire, England
About this WINE
Hambledon Vineyard
Hambledon Vineyard boasts a rich history as the first English commercial vineyard, established in the early 1950s by the Francophile Sir Guy Salisbury Jones. After a decline, Ian Kellett acquired the vineyard in 1999, and his dedicated investments have led to some of the country’s finest Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier grapes.
The appointment of renowned oenologist Hervé Jestin, a pioneer of organic viticulture and Cellar Master at Champagne Leclerc Briant, has revitalised Hambledon’s standing in the wine industry. Alongside winemakers Felix Gabillet and Sam Picton, Hervé crafts exquisite sparkling wines with a distinctive English flair.
In 2023, we proudly became part owners of Hambledon in partnership with Symington Family Estates. This collaboration merges our longstanding family businesses and shared dedication to sustainable viticulture and winemaking.
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.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Having celebrated a “big” birthday recently, I was lucky enough to receive a bottle of 2015 Berry Bros. & Rudd, English Sparkling, Blanc de Blancs by Hambledon. As celebratory bottles go, this one was a triumph. This English expression of Burgundy’s classic white grape (Chardonnay) instantly entices with piquant gooseberry and lychee aromas. If your mouth isn’t watering already, the invigorating acidity carries lemon, biscuit crumb and crisp, green apple flavours onto a creamily smooth finish. A superb, homegrown alternative to Champagne for a celebration, or something to make “Fish Friday” that little bit more decadent – it’s the perfect accompaniment to cod and chips!
Alexandra Gray de Walden, Product Master Data Administator (September 2020)
Bright and vividly fresh, notes of apple, gooseberry and white peach are carried by refreshing acidity, showcasing the quality of Chardonnay in 2015. The palate is fine and mineral, a celebration of Hampshire’s pure chalk soils. Three years’ ageing add nutty complexity, while the finish lingers long with notes of apple crumble.
Davy Zyw, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
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