A Visit to Hambledon Vineyard

[Alex Bridgeman]

Earlier today - Thursday 17th April 2025 - I had the fun of being invited for a tour and tasting of the vineyard, winery and wines of Hambledon Vineyard. The name might be familiar because this is the vineyard which is now owned by a 50-50 joint venture between Berry Brothers & Rudd and the Symington Family and which was discussed on this thread about 18 months ago.

I also booked myself in for lunch at the vineyard's restaurant after the tour — and I am very pleased I did, but more on that later.

Glorious sunshine

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There is evidence that the Romans grew vines and made wine in the South Downs about 2,000 years ago, but the history of Hambledon Vineyard starts in 1951 when Major-General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones retired from his role as the British Military attaché in Paris and returned to the UK. He bought Mill Down House, which lies near the top of a south-facing chalk hill just outside the Hampshire village of Hambledon. Sir Guy was a keen wine-lover, Francophile and a personal friend of Winston Churchill and through this friendship he was introduced to the Pol Roger family.

The story told is that Sir Guy knew well the similarities between the chalk downs of Hampshire and the chalk slopes of the Côte des Blancs so approached the Pol Roger family to discuss what he might be able to usefully do with the field of rough pasture below his house. Some research, discussions and visits followed and in 1951 a variety of grape varieties were planted in an acre of land running down the hill. Further plantings were carried out the next year and the first crop of grapes was gathered in 1954. Although the grapes were vinified from the start, it was in 1961 that the winery started selling commercially and became the UK's first commercial vineyard. There is an entertaining Pathé News video of the 1961 harvest which can be viewed on YouTube.

No weed killers are used

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[Alex Bridgeman]

As you can see from the pictures, the weather was perfect for a vineyard visit!

Sir Guy died in 1985. In 1999, Sir Guy's family sold the vineyard to Ian Kellett, who revived the relationship with Pol Roger. Working together, they surveyed the vineyards, the soil and the bedrock and concluded that the climate was now such that the land was ideal for production of sparkling wines. 90 acres of land lying close to and surrounding the house were replanted in the mid 2000's with a mixture of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier vines (all on American rootstock).

A further 100 acres of vineyards around the nearby village of Hinton Ampner were acquired and planted in 2018. The vineyard started out in the 1960s producing still wine with the Seyval Blanc being the most successful varietal (even being served on the QE2 and at the President's Dinner when Queen Elizabeth visited France), but today it produces only English Sparkling Wine.

Traditional oak barn build

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The most recent change of ownership came in 2023, when a joint venture between Berry Brothers & Rudd and the Symington Family purchased Hambledon Vineyard. The new owners have invested significant sums in the facilities, the most immediately obvious of which is the magnificent Visitor's Centre, which opened on 5th February this year. The Visitor's Centre is the hub for a visitor, containing the shop, a wine bar, a tasting room, the starting point for tours and a fine dining restaurant. There is also a fabulous terrace giving an elevated view over the vineyards and where you can enjoy a glass of wine.

Prestige Cuvée Rosé

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[Alex Bridgeman]

More on the Visitor's Centre later, when we return from our tour for lunch. Vineyard tours are available Wednesday to Sunday at either 11am or 2pm and must be pre-booked on the website to be certain of a place. From 3rd May through to the end of the summer, there will also be a 5pm tour available on Friday and Saturday.

The newly planted kitchen garden

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The tour starts with a brief walk through the recently planted kitchen garden towards the vineyards. I was admiring it from a distance when I suddenly realised what all the plant labels had been made from - barrel staves! It works ingeniously well and is a better use of the wood than simply burning the old barrels.

Once in the vineyard we paused at a bench (which has an amazing view) where our guide, Simon, took us through some of the history of the vineyard, the soils, the vines and the philosophy behind the viticulture. Chemical intervention is kept to a minimum, essentially only spraying when necessary to control outbreaks of oidium and mildew. Dandelions are encouraged for their beneficial impact on the soils, but the fields are also full of other wildflowers - I saw at least 4 other wild flowers without trying very hard. The hedgerows are full of wildlife.

A bench with a view

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The vines had had their winter prune, and are trained using a two cane and replacement approach - which means that two long spurs from last year's growth are left to generate this year's fruit-bearing growth while two strong buds are left in place to form the spurs needed next year. We spent some time talking about the growth cycle of the vines, the hazards of the UK climate for grape farmers and the vulnerability of the plants to all the vagaries of nature. Bud break has been early this year and the vines are vulnerable to damage by late frost. If they get hit by a frost, the new growth will die and not be able to produce fruit. The vine can recover, but the fruit the replacement growth produces will be 2-3 weeks behind ideal - and that means it wouldn't ripen fully until late October and then only if we have a long, warm, dry and sunny September and October. Hambledon is fortunate in so far as their proximity to the sea (6 miles) and their slope means that they seldom have frost settle on the vines unless the temperature drops well below freezing. The night before our visit, one of the neighbouring vineyards had their smudge pots burning to prevent frost damage to their vines while Hambledon was unaffected.

Bud burst was a few days ago

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[Alex Bridgeman]

After chatting about all things vine and vineyard, and answering all our questions even those about why birds don't eat all the grapes (apparently there are several birds of prey living nearby, so the pigeons are never seen in the open) we walked around to the winery.

The winery was opened for its first harvest in 2011 by (now) Queen Camilla. It was the UK's first gravity fed winery and is capable of producing somewhere in the region of 750,000 bottles per year. Currently the winery produces around 500,000 bottles of Hambledon Vineyard wines and acts as a contract vinification plant for a further 100-150,000 bottles for other vineyards such as Fairmile near Henley-on-Thames or for third parties such as Berry Brothers & Rudd's own label English Sparkling Wine. The 330,000 vines spread across the two areas of vines are expected to produce around 1,000,000 bottles per year when they hit peak production volume in the mid 2030s.

The larger press

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Grapes are hand-picked by varietal and put into 20kg baskets for transport to the winery. They enter at the top level and are put into one of two presses. The larger press is capable of handling 8 tonnes of grapes and the smaller press 4 tonnes. Any free-run juice which comes from the grapes prior to pressing is set to one side and sold to third parties, being very light it doesn't have the depth and character wanted for the Hambledon Cuvée wines. The grapes are then pressed twice, slowly and gently with each press taking 2-2½ hours. These two presses produce the cuvée juice, which goes for fermentation. The pomace is sent to local farmers for composting, but is pressed again before being sent away with the juice from the final pressing also being sold to third parties. (There is also a small amount of still Pinot Noir made in years when the grapes achieve full ripeness for use as a blending wine for making the Classic Cuvée Rosé.)

Stainless steel fermenting and storage tanks

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The wines are fermented using cultured yeast in stainless steel for about 2 weeks until all the sugar has fermented and the wine reaches 10% alcohol. Most years the grapes reach about 8% potential alcohol level while retaining the acidity needed for a sparkling wine so the must needs to be chaptalized. Once fermentation has finished, the wines are allowed to rest on the lees for 6 months while undergoing a malolactic fermentation. The wines are clarified using Bentonite (which is a vegan product) before assemblage where the new wines are blended with reserve wines. Most reserve wine is stored in stainless steel tanks but some (less than 10%) is stored in oak.

Resting on the lees

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Assembled wines are rested in stainless steel from April until July, at which time liquer de tirage - basically some of the wine with a bit of sugar added - is added into the tanks and the wine bottled. At this stage of the process bottles are sealed with a crown cork and the newly introduced sugar reawakens the yeast and another small fermentation occurs which increases the alcohol content to 12% and generates the carbon dioxide which makes the wine sparkling. All the wines are given a minimum of 3 years of bottle age, the rosé a minimum of 4 years and the première cuvée wines at least 6 years.

The lees in a bottle

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The wines are riddled in gyro-pallets, which take 540 bottles at a time and settle the sediment into the neck of the bottle in 3 days. The wines are given a dosage to bring them to a Brut level of sweetness when disgorged and aged for at least 3 months on the cork before release. The wines can be found in Upper Class on Virgin Atlantic and at all Pig hotels.

Gyro-pallets gradually tipping the lees into the neck of the bottle

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Corks, before being inserted, mushroomed and caged.

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[Alex Bridgeman]

The wine bar in the Visitor’s Centre

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The tour ended by returning to the Visitor's Centre, turning right and going into the tasting room. We sat at a large round table and had 3 wines poured for us to taste and discuss. These were the Classic Cuvée NV, the Première Cuvée NV and the Classic Cuvée Rosé NV. The estate also makes - but we did not taste - a Première Cuvée Rosé NV and a Blanc de Blancs NV. The estate has experimented with vintage wines but none have yet been released.

L-R: Classic, Première and Classic Rosé

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This Classic Cuvée is 84% from the 2019 harvest, with the other 16% being reserve wines. The blend is 51% Chardonnay, 32% Pinot Noir, 17% Pinot Meunier (plus 16% of reserve wines), which was aged for 4 years on the lees before being disgorged with 5.5g per litre of sugar as the dosage. The wine has a lovely pear nose, powerful green apple acidity but is very nicely balanced. Lots of lemon and brioche on the palate with generous amounts of fruit. Very long lemon oil finish with hints of honey. 90/100. Priced at the cellar door at £39 per bottle (including duty and VAT).

Classic Cuvée with a fine, persistent mousse

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The Première Cuvée is based on wine from the 2015 harvest and is 44% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 21% Pinot Meunier, aged on the lees for 7 years. Softer and rounder than the Classic Cuvée, with gentle fruit on the nose. Distinctly drier on the palate with the green apple a little more restrained. Fresh, full of flavour with fabulous intensity. Mineral and saline textures. Long, finish of lemon, lime and just a touch of Bovril. Glorious. The winemaker's advice is that this wine will cellar for up to 10 years. 94/100. Priced at the cellar door at £69 per bottle.

Première Cuvée

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The Classic Cuvée Rosé is based on wines from the 2018 harvest and is 82% Chardonnay, 7% Pinot Noir, 1% Pinot Meunier and 10% still reserve Pinot Noir, aged on the lees for 45 months before being disgorged with 8g per litre dosage. Salmon pink in colour with red apple on the nose, soft and smooth on the palate. Red pear at first with red apple coming through later. Red berry flavours, a hint of strawberry on the late palate and aftertaste before a lime oil finish. Very impressive length. So full of flavour. Impressive wine. 93/100. Priced at the cellar door at £42 per bottle.

Classic Cuvée Rosé

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[Alex Bridgeman]

There was no sense of urgency and Simon was happy to stay with us while we chatted to our fellow tour visitors, finishing the wines and asking questions but eventually it was time for us to move to the other end of the Visitor's Centre and have lunch. The new owners have made no secret of the fact that they have taken inspiration for Hambledon from the full hospitality offer that can be found in Napa Valley vineyards — and that includes a top end food offer for lunch and dinner from Executive Head Chef Nick Edgar, formerly Head Chef at Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons and holding a Michelin star at The Samling.

Every table has a view

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The view from the tables in the restaurant makes the most of the vineyards as you look south-west towards the rolling hills. The menu is seasonal and sourced locally where practical. The lunch set menu is excellent value at £32.50 per person for 2 courses and wine starts at £10 for a glass of the Classic Cuvée. Two of us were lunching, one ate from the set lunch menu while the other ate from the a la carte menu. The food was sensational, very successfully combining a cacophony of colour with a festival of flavours. High praise indeed when my other half said the quality, flavours and presentation of the food reminded her of when we recently ate at Gidleigh Park. It was also a pleasure to be able to have a glass of the Première Cuvée Rosé to go with lunch, adding to the wines tried on the tour.

Smoked salmon

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Cheese soufflé

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Between us we enjoyed, and thoroughly recommend, the smoked salmon starter and sea bream main from the set menu and from the a la carte menu the cheese soufflé, best end of lamb, rhubarb and ginger crème brûlée and the milk chocolate and salted peanut parfait. The food was absolutely sensational. If the restaurant wasn't a 90 minute drive away, we would be here every day! I suppose, if I have to find something to suggest as an improvement, it would be that it would be wonderful to have rooms on the estate to be able to enjoy a fine meal and then stay a night rather than having to organise a designated driver. Although, to be fair, the website does list some local places you can stay and some are within walking distance given the long summer evenings we are about to enjoy.

Sea bream

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Best end of lamb

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Parfait

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Crème brûlée

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Currently the restaurant is open for lunch Thursday to Sunday and for dinner Wednesday to Sunday with the lunch set menu available only on Thursday and Friday. There is also a private dining room, if needed.

Set lunch menu

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A lá carte menu - lunch and dinner

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With lunch, I chose to drink a glass of the Première Cuvée Rosé. This is based on wine from the 2016 harvest and is 87.5% saignée Pinot Meunier, 5.2% still Pinot noir and 7.3% Chardonnay. Deep pink in colour the wine offers a rich brioche nose. Smooth on the palate, full of strawberry fruit balanced by just the right level of acidity. Strawberry and rhubarb dominate the aftertaste and finish. A very lovely wine. 94/100.

[Alex Bridgeman]

After lunch we made a quick visit to the cellar door shop, which is currently upstairs between the wine bar and the tasting room while the new entrance is being finished. Once the new entrance area is ready, the wine shop will move into its larger space and will continue to offer the full range of Hambledon wines but will have the space to add a good range of Berry's Brothers wines and a selection of wines from Symington Family Estates. We bought a bottle of the only estate wine we hadn't had the chance to try — the NV Blanc de Blancs (£52). This wine is based on the 2018 harvest with a little barrel aged reserve wine, bottled in 2019 and disgorged in 2023 with a dosage of 3.4g per litre and is 100% Chardonnay.

It really is a beautiful building

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That concludes the write-up of our visit to Hambledon. The tour was courtesy of Fells and would normally have cost £32 per person, but lunch was paid for by us in full. It was a wonderful day in a part of the country we don't know particularly well but it was fascinating to learn about the history of the first commercial winery in England - and to think that everything we have today was pioneered by that one enthusiastic amateur who had a crazy idea to grow vines in rain-sodden England. I raise my glass to the memory of Major-General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones.

We will definitely be back.

[Glenn E.]

Another wonderful writeup! Your pictures and prose are almost as good as being there.

Minus the wines, of course.

[Andy Velebil]

Excellent write up!

[mcoulson]

Wow ... Thanks for taking the time to write this all up ....

[Alex Bridgeman]

Thanks gents, it's nice to know people read what I write!

I've just added a tasting note of the Première Cuvée Rosé to the restaurant description. Once I've had chance to try the Blanc de Blanc I'll add a tasting note to this thread.

[Christopher]

Thanks Alex, a very nice write up and much appreciated. Looks like a great day out will have to add to the list for later this year

[Justin K]

Another great destination, I think this might have been the place you recommended us visiting next time we come over?

[Alex Bridgeman]

Another great destination, I think this might have been the place you recommended us visiting next time we come over?

It's well worth a visit