Our Award-Winning Sparkling Wine Sees Success in the 2024 Awards Season

Our Award-Winning Sparkling Wine Sees Success in the 2024 Awards Season

We are thrilled to announce that our Première Cuvée has made a spectacular mark in the 2024 awards season, bringing home three acclaimed accolades, including a Decanter Platinum Award, a Drinks Business Master Award, and a Wine GB Gold. 

It goes without saying that our Première Cuvée is a labour of love, and a testament to our commitment to excellence, year upon year. Only the best juice from our estate is selected for our Première Cuvée blend, laying the foundation for an extraordinary wine. After the selection process, the wine undergoes an extensive aging process, spending five years on its lees. This aging process is crucial as it allows the wine undergo autolysis for an extended time period, a vital yet slow process, essential for the to develop its complex flavors and rich texture. The time and care invested in aging our Première Cuvée are what set it apart, creating a wine that is truly deserving of the accolades it has received.

Meet the People Behind our Award-Winning Sparkling Wine

Our success is built on the dedication of our production teams, who are present at the vineyard year-round to ensure every care is taken to produce the finest English sparkling wine. From growing to harvest, to bottling, to aging, every step of the process is handled with meticulous attention to detail. Guided by the expertise of Hervé Jestin, our winemaking team works tirelessly to create outstanding wines, blending the savoir-faire inherited from our Champagne counterparts with a bold, pioneering spirit that stems from our growing industry. Their leadership and innovation are integral to producing the exceptional quality that defines our Première Cuvée.

The Vineyard

It all begins in the Vineyard, where Nick Cran-Crombie and his Irish Terrier, Betty work year round, in all weathers, to ensure sure the best quality fruit is delivered to the winery year upon year. Every day presents a new challenge and therefore keeping an open mind to adapt and evolve processes is key. "Weather is the controlling factor for yields with forecasting only available for a few days ahead. The relative unknown is always just around the corner so nimble and decisive actions are required daily."

The Winery

Meanwhile in the winery, Felix Gabillet, our Head Winemaker and Sam Picton, our Assistant Winemaker, lead a team Felix, our Head Winemaker, has made wine across across the globe, from Australia to Canada, and believes that we should "Keep one foot in the past and one foot in the future. It’s a constant balance between those two worlds.". Innovation, with respect for tradition, is key here at Hambledon. Sam echoes these sentiments, as an English winemaker in a burgeoning industry, he is excited to innovate, yet respects the need for care and precision when crafting sparkling wines, especially our première range- "Time and patience is key".

The Cellar 

In post-production, Todor Todorov leads the cellar team to ensure all wines are aged, disgorged and labelled to the highest standards. With the help of his team, Luke (pictured below) and Crystal, they are essential in processing our sparkling wine to be shipped across the country, to accounts large and small. Todor has a keen eye for detail, and spends countless hours ensuring that everything in our cellars runs smoothly-"Perfection and precision is key- we're a luxury product and the end customer should feel that way, whether that's down to the finish of the bottle or the balance of the wine."
We invite you to celebrate with us and experience our award-winning sparkling wine for yourself. Whether that's Classic, or Première Cuvée, here's to many more accolades and continued excellence in the years to come!
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