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: Cool fermentation in stainless steel followed by full malolactic fermentation. A portion (1% 2009, 2% 2010, 1% 2011, 5% 2013, 3% 2014) of this wine is from reserve stocks which has been stored in barrel and tank which adds complexity and depth to the palate. Maturation on fine lees in tank for six months before bottling and a minimum of three years further ageing on lees in bottle.

Weather: 2016 was undoubtedly a challenging year for UK winegrowers. Only a few will have covered their growing costs and even fewer will have full wineries. However, the high ripeness levels, dry harvest and clean grapes are some compensation and there should be some excellent wines, both still and sparkling, for drinking in the future. 2016 has also emphasised the part played by region, vineyard site and vineyard management in creating a truly sustainable grape growing and wine making enterprise.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: Kent and East Sussex. Grapes are grown on chalk and clay soils.
Grape Varieties: 60% Chardonnay, 36% Pinot Noir & 4% Meunier
Lees Ageing: 3 years
Disgorged: 2020
Dosage: 8 g/l
Alcohol: 12%
pH: 3.01
TA: 7.1 g/l
Drink: Now to 2030

Tasting Note: Complex aromas of ripe apple, fresh red berries and toasted brioche are followed by a rich palate and a generous finish.

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.