Chapel Down makes world-class wines from grapes grown in the South East of England where the geology and climate combine to provide the perfect terroir for sparkling wines. The first vines were planted at Tenterden in the late 1970's and the vineyard has been continuously producing English wines from this site ever since. Chapel Down now has a large acreage under vine in Kent and beyond.

Winemaking: Harvested by hand in September and October, this refined sparkling wine has undergone malolactic fermentation and 29% of the blend is matured in barrel before being left to age on its lees for three and a half years before release.

Vineyards: Kit's Coty vineyard is a 95-acre vineyard on teh North Downs of Kent. The southerly aspect ensures the vines capture the sunshine all year long while the warm, free draining chalk soils provide the perfect terroir from producing well balanced, intensely flavoured fruit. Restricting yields and maintaining vine balance allow vines to fulfil their potential, producing fruit that truly express their identity and the unique qualities of the soil.

Weather in 2017: Better yields than in 2016, though frost damage affected many vineyards in the south-east of England. Sugar levels were good at harvest, thanks to some hot spells in June and a mostly dry harvest period, and acid levels were mostly well-balanced too. Total harvest 4.5 m bottles off 2,275 hectares.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: Kit's Coty vineyard, North Downs of Kent.
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Lees Ageing: 3.5 years
Dosage: 7.5 g/l
Alcohol: 12%
pH: 3.07
TA: 6.5 g/l
Drink: Now to 2030

Tasting Note: This wine shows typical aromas of cool climate Blanc de Blancs, fresh apples and buttery pastry. The palate is fresh yet shows development for maturation in bottle and has a toasty character from partial barrel fermentation which leads to a savoury finish with fine, persistent bubbles.

Chapel Down makes world-class wines from grapes grown in the South East of England where the geology and climate combine to provide the perfect terroir for sparkling wines.

The first vines were planted at Tenterden in the late 1970's and the vineyard has been continuously producing English wines from this site ever since. Chapel Down now has a large acreage under vine in Kent and beyond.

The wines are produced from grapes grown in the South East of England. They own some of the finest vineyards in England, primarily situated on the North Downs of Kent with a terroir very similar to that of Champagne. The Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Bacchus vines are grown on south facing chalk soils and benefit from a warm, maritime climate. They also source high quality fruit from long-term partner vineyards across Kent, Sussex and Essex, resulting in balanced wines with unique flavour profiles.

The sparkling and still wines are made to the highest standards using the latest winemaking techniques, resulting in elegant wines with balanced acidity and rich fruit characters. In 2021 they introduced the ‘Discovery Series’ which is a collection of wines led by their winemaking team produced from experimental plantings and modern winemaking practises to better understand the versatility of this relatively new and unexplored wine region.