Harrow & Hope Blanc de Blancs 2018
Type: Sparkling
Country: England
Region: Buckinghamshire
Grape Variety: 100% Chardonnay
Viticulture: Certified Organic
Climate: High summer day temperatures with cooler nights
Terroir: Vineyard sits on an ancient Thames gravel terrace, where water flowed about 450,000 years ago. For thousands of years, the Thames cut down into the gravel and chalk, and left a terrace with steep slopes with large deposits of flint gravel, mixed into thick orange clay lying on top of the chalk. This is the classic ‘Thames Terroir’ and exists all around the valley at various heights above sea level
Ageing: 50% fermented in 500-litre puncheon barrels and the other 50% in stainless steel. Aged on the lees for 34 months
Color: Gold with fine effervescence
Nose: Aromas of citrus and honeysuckle lead into subtle brioche and vanilla characters
Palate: The palate offers generous yet elegant notes of baked lemon and white peach with the warmth of the vintage shining through. Subtle mineral notes accentuate the fresh, crisp acidity, leading to a long and complex finish
About the Winery:
Harrow and Hope is a boutique family-owned and run winery specialising in world-class sparkling wine located in Marlow, Buckinghamshire in the UK. The soil of the single-family estate vineyard is a mixture of flint gravel mixed into thick orange clay on top of chalk, thus perfectly suited for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier to thrive. Henry Laithwaite grew up surrounded by wine and wine culture before setting up his first vineyard project at Chateau Verniotte in Bordeaux. Together with his wife Kaye, they returned to the UK in 2010 and set about raising their family. Inspired by the emerging wine environment in England, they founded Harrow and Hope.
They make stunning non-vintage Brut Reserve as well as vintage dated Rosé, Blanc de Noirs and Blanc de Blancs. Erik Asimov of the New York Times has praised English sparkling wine as having, ‘spirited, glowing acidity and an orchard-fruit freshness’, while describing Harrow and Hope’s wines as ‘savoury and harmonious’.
In 2019, Harrow and Hope were awarded UK Winery of the Year. The Sunday Times in the UK rated the Brut Reserve a perfect 5/5.
