​Hattingley Valley & The Best of British

As the UK prepares to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee – celebrating the life and unprecedented reign of Her Majesty The Queen – here at The Great Wine Co., we too are celebrating the very best of British, and turning a focus towards some of the finest winemakers in Great Britain. 

Although England has historically been at the very heart of the global wine trade, English wine was anathema to consumers of 70 years ago, when vintages from the established regions of Europe were considered the only wines truly fit for royalty. The lavish state banquet to celebrate the Coronation on June 3 1953, for example, featured 1934 Chateau Lafite, 1928 Chateau d’Yquem and 1934 Vintage Champagne from Pol Roger. 

In the 70 years since the Coronation, English Sparkling Wine has moved from pipedream to reality, and finally to global acclaim, thanks to the hard work and considerable investment of a number of well-heeled winery founders. And, in spite of tough competition from established sparkling wine producers across the Channel (and across the Atlantic), the rise of English sparkling wine has been one of the great British success stories of recent years. 

Squarely at the forefront of the meteoric rise of English Sparkling Wine is Hattingley Valley, known for exceptional wines from fruit grown on the Chalk-rich hills of Hampshire, on the edge of the South Downs. These fertile chalk-heavy slopes are comparable to those of Champagne, both in climate and terroir (and were once, I assume, connected as part of the same landmass, many moons ago). It was here, on the south-facing slopes of Hampshire that Hattingley Valley’s founder Simon Robinson elected to plant his first 9ha of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Bacchus and Pinot Gris in 2008. 

Head Winemaker Emma Rice has been with Hattingley right from the start, following a stellar career in wine which included stints on vineyards in Napa and Tasmania, as well as at South Downs neighbour Nyetimber. Emma is a homegrown success story, having graduated from Plumpton College with a degree in Viticulture and Oenology, and Emma and her team are responsible for creating the cuvées which for which Hattingley have become famed. 

Establishing a winery – like establishing a monarchic dynasty – is neither easy, nor fast. From planting rootstocks in 2008, and opening a state-of-the-art eco-friendly winery in 2010, the very first bottles of Hattingley Valley wines were released in 2013 – a year late to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Since then, however, the winery has gone from strength-to-strength, with increased production volumes across the range, including still Chardonnay and Rose. Today, estate-grown fruit is augmented with fruit grown on carefully selected plots across the UK - from Essex, Kent and Suffolk - all meticulously managed and grown, as on the Hattingley estate, under the careful eye of Emma Rice.

For her efforts, winemaker Emma has been named Winemaker of the Year by WineGB not once but twice (in 2014 and 2016) and is the only female winemaker to achieve this accolade. Meanwhile, Emma’s "tête de cuvée", the immaculate Kings Cuvée was named Supreme Champion and Best Sparkling Wine at the WineGB Awards in 2020.

Although not named for royalty – the name is actually an homage to the Kings Farm which makes up part of the Hattingley estate – the Kings Cuvée is a truly regal wine: a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, aged for seven months in oak before bottling, followed by 52 months on the lees prior to disgorgement, making for a wine with a fine and persistent mousse, soft fruit and a delicate oak character. 

2014 was a great year for English Sparkling Wine, with near-perfect growing conditions. A mild spring, and plenty of sunshine throughout June and Jane Macquitty has called the 2014 Kings Cuvée a “gem”, labelling it “one of England’s best bubblies.” 

The best of British? Sounds like wine fit for a Queen. Or certainly a long weekend. Cheers!

Photography Credits: Burlison Photography, Electric Eye Photpgraphy, Hattingley Valley.