26th April 2017 | Cork Talk
When we speak to customers about English wine, there is still a resistance to believing that what we can produce in the South Downs can ever compete with the more established wines from over the channel. Hambledon is just one of the 133 English/Welsh wineries working to continue the trend of upcoming English tipples competing with the best of the best.
As mentioned above, a lot comes down to the growing conditions they have at their disposal. The chalk bed of the vineyards is perfect for growing vines. The chalk retains water when needed, but also provides great drainage when there is too much.
Hambledon has three main vineyards consisting of 100,000 vines. Each vineyard is planted with the classic champagne grape varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. All vines are hand-pruned and all grapes are hand-picked during harvest in September and October. With the presses and winery being on the same site, grapes can be picked and pressed quickly, preserving and ensuring only the highest finished product quality.
When you have a desire for excellence, no expense is spared. With a state of the art winery, Hambledon is at the forefront of the English winemaking scene. They are the only winery in the UK to have a gravity fed system in place, which basically means they have no need to pump their wines under pressure. The wine gently works its way from one process to the next, with minimal intervention, ensuring the true characters of the grapes shine brightest of all.
A state of the art winery is only beneficial when you have an expert hand to guide it. The head winemaker at Hambledon is Hervé Jestin who came personally recommended from the renowned champagne house Pol Roger. He’s also widely considered to be one of the finest champagne winemakers out there. Jestin has overseen the production of over 200 million bottles of champagne, so it’s fair to say he has quite the experience.
Dave Roberts, Wine Buyer on Hambledon:
“This is a Grand Marque Champagne smasher from good old Hambledon down in our very own Hampshire. I show these wines to anyone I can and it is always first into my case when placing an order to replenish my wine stocks. Tasting is believing, so grab a bottle in your next order and support the British wine producers!”
