Hundred Hills, Blanc de Blancs, Stonor Valley, Oxfordshire 2019

This small beautiful winery based in the Oxfordshire countryside with the 1st vines being planted in 2014 after a significant period of time where Stephen and Fiona Duckett carefully chose this location in the Chiltern Hills.

From the outset they focused on the low yielding, high quality forms of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay that had produced so many great wines in Burgundy and Champagne during the twentieth century, now the climate of Southern England in the twenty-first.  They segmented the vineyard into ten parcels, each with their own aspect, slopes and soils, and now all filled with different Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines.  We selected some classics such as Chardonnay 95 on the thin soils and steep slopes of our ‘Amphitheatre’ Vineyard and Pinot Noir 115 on the gentle East facing slopes where a lengthy growing and ripening season could allow them to fully express their potential. Their philosophy is to work hard to care for the land of their vineyards rely on and to contribute to the beauty of landscape around us.  We enjoy pristine virgin soils and have never used herbicides, relying heavily on cover crops to help sustain the soil nutrients our vines need. We want Hundred Hills to still be here, still making great wines and to still be beautiful long after we’re gone!

This excellent 100% Chardonnay has intense layers of ripe lemon zest, limes and yuzu, fill the palate balanced by a sea spray minerality and nutty umami finish. This wine has tremendous potential to age over the coming decades.

https://hundredhills.wine/