Hambledon Premiere Cuvee 75cl

Description

Introduction:
Established in 1952 by Major General Sir Guy Salisbury-Jones, Hambledon in the South Downs is England’s oldest commercial vineyard.

Ian Kellett acquired Hambledon in 1999 with a view to restoring Hambledon to its former glory and research convinced him that the site was perfectly suited to the production of sparkling wines.

The Newhaven chalk on which the vines grow was formed on the seabed of the Paris basin some 65 million years ago and is found in the best Chardonnay areas of the Côtes des Blancs in Champagne.

In 2005 a 10-acre ‘test bed’ of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier was planted on a combination of 27 different vine clones and rootstocks to see which gave the best results.
Hambledon now comprises over 200 acres of vineyards and the only gravity-fed, state-of-the-art winery in the UK.

In 2011 Hervé Jestin, one of Champagne’s leading chefs de cave and renowned expert in minimal-intervention winemaking, joined Hambledon and now directs all winemaking at the Estate alongside Felix Gabillet.

Tasting notes:
Confit lemon, orange blossom and white lily exude on the nose, nestling amongst ripe apricot, white peach and baked red apple.

The palate intensifies, evolving into tarte Tatin, almond croissant and a dusting of crumble, yet maintaining a precise structure, creamy texture and mouth-watering acidity.

The finish develops a mineral, chalky quality, nodding to our Hampshire terroir, and the svelte mousse remains persistent and elegant.

Incredibly complex and immensely enjoyable. How to serve Complexity, acidity, length and texture are all beautifully judged and combine seamlessly on the palate making this the perfect accompaniment to lobster, scallops, oysters, monkfish, turbot and dover sole.

How to serve:
A superb blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier the Hambledon Classic Cuvee is the perfect aperitif but also makes an ideal match to fresh seafood such as oysters, scallops, sushi or smoked salmon with asparagus.

Best served between 10 and 12°C.
Enjoy now, or choose to age in the cellar.

Blend of grapes:
73% Chardonnay 24% Pinot Noir 3% Pinot Meunier

Dosage 2 g/l
Alcohol 12%

Review:
“It smells like champagne. Rich and leesy, and broad. Hugely impressive, takes up all the space, stands with wide shoulders and feet wide apart, commanding. Something a little salty. And then just as it seems to be all about making a full-frontal impact you realise that the finish is vertical and incredibly intense and it pulls in, apricots and salted lemons and orange peel and as tightly and precisely folded as origami in marble. Texture that somehow reminds me of silk and sandpaper. 17.5/20”
Tamlyn Currin, Jancis Robinson, 13th February 2019