English Wine Week is always a reason for celebration here at Hambledon Wine Estate. However, this year, the occasion came with an extra layer of excitement, as it marked our first time celebrating in The Restaurant. To begin the week and in the spirit of this year’s theme, making new traditions, we hosted our first-ever Winemaker’s Dinner in our Private Dining Room, led by Head Winemaker, Felix Gabillet.
With a limited guest list of 24 attendees, it was an opportunity to showcase some of the brightest stars from our cellars: many of which are limited editions or unavailable to the public. After a somewhat dull day, the clouds parted just in time for the evening to begin, giving way to bright sunshine and a beautiful sunset as the evening progressed. Guests were welcomed with a magnum of our Classic Cuvée, which is a wine available in extremely limited quantities, but among the very best our estate has to offer. Based on the 2015 harvest and disgorged in 2023, our winemakers believe large-format bottles need twice as much lees ageing to truly develop into high-quality wines and the merits of this were abundantly clear upon tasting. With vibrant yet structured acidity and delicate floral and stone fruit aromas, the magnums certainly started the evening with a bang.
The first course was Head Chef Nick Edgar’s signature dish: Flavours of Gazpacho, Tomato Essence, Olive Oil Jelly, and Basil. Nick has previously described it as "…very dear to my heart, and even though it evolves every year, the main aspect never changes. It’s my take on the classic gazpacho: it was the first time I took a dish, really examined it, broke it down, and rebuilt it." And there's certainly a reason it has remained a favourite over the years. With intensely flavoured tomato essence poured over red pepper sorbet and a medley of gazpacho elements, the dish is everything you want a tomato to be, just better than anything else you’ve tasted. This was paired with our 2019 base Classic Cuvée Rosé, currently tasting at its absolute best. With complex yet vivacious flavours of strawberries, lemon, and cream, it’s summer in a glass and it sang alongside what may have been one of the best dishes I’ve eaten this year.
Our third wine of the evening delved into our library collection: the 2011 base Première Cuvée. Produced when the Hambledon brand, as we know it today, was still in its infancy, this vintage came from a particularly difficult growing season, with low yields across the board and Pinot Noir suffering from millerandage (clusters of unevenly developed grapes). Nevertheless, the wine has aged wonderfully. It now shows a deliciously complex palate that retains fresh fruit character, alongside autolytic notes of sourdough toast from 64 months on lees and a further nutty depth from seven years of cork ageing. Its match: Chalk Stream Trout with Gooseberry and Elderflower Compote and Pickled Mooli. The richness of the trout and savoury notes in the wine were elegantly balanced by tart gooseberry and estate-foraged elderflower.
As the dishes grew heartier, so too did the calibre of the wines. Our fourth pairing featured Mill Down Brut 2010, crafted before the ‘Hambledon Vineyard’ brand’s inception. This wine benefited from a warm summer, showing ripe fruit flavours that supported long oxidative bottle ageing after only 29 months on lees. With a rounded palate, tart baked fruit character, and a suggestion of mushroom, it complemented the bold flavours in the third course: Sea Bream with Red Pepper and Cannellini Bean Ragù.
Fifth was our Zero Dosage Rosé, a rare gem with only 500 bottles remaining. Born from a happy accident involving a Pinot Meunier maceration during the 2015 harvest, our winemakers embraced its bold red fruit aromas and developed a one-off saignée-method sparkling wine with 0 g/L dosage. As it has aged on cork, the wine has developed into a gastronomic experience with a smoky redcurrant palate and crisp, yeasty finish: ideal for red meat. It was paired with Flat Iron Steak, Grilled Peach, Blue Cheese, Mint & Lemon Fregola, and Red Wine Sauce. With a plethora of strong flavours, this is not your typical pairing for sparkling wine, yet it was harmonious with this unique bottle. For that reason, we recommend this wine alongside the wood-fired cuisine at The Courtyard.
We ended the evening with what, for many, was the highlight: our Mill Down 2007 Brut. Bottled in 2008 and disgorged in 2011, it has spent nearly fourteen years ageing in bottle- certainly living up to the saying “ageing like fine wine.” . Once a lively, fruit-forward sparkling with English apple, lemon, and sourdough character, it has evolved into a rich glass of toffee, almond, and caramelised apple, while maintaining a steely, fresh finish. Paired with a Pistachio and Apricot Bakewell Tart, it made for a memorable finale.
The evening was brought to life with anecdotes from Félix and dish introductions by Nick Edgar. Guests were able to ask questions about the wines showcased and the Hambledon Estate itself. With a wonderful mix of attendees from locals to those who had travelled afar, from couples to friends- it was an enchanting evening of good company, delicious food, and showstopping wines.
If you missed this event, why not join us for our Summer Lunch with Berry Bros. & Rudd, taking place here at Hambledon Wine Estate on 19th July? Hosted by Barbara Drew MW, Berry Bros. & Rudd’s Content Officer, and Félix Gabillet, our Head Winemaker, this is a unique opportunity to enjoy a delicious five-course lunch paired not only with our English Sparkling Wines but also a curated selection from the BBR cellars. Click Here to Book Now