Hundred Hills - 'Hillside No.3', Oxford, United Kingdom (2019)

TASTING NOTES

Really sophisticated. Good grip on the palate a luxuriant complexity. Biscuity shortbread aromas lead into layers of yellow fruit on the nose, from ripe citrus to yellow apple, Mirabelle plum and pineapple. A rich creamy palate reminds you of the perfect lemon tart.

A rare, very late harvested selection of our Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. Only made in small quantities from a beautiful, long, and cool ripening vintage. Grapes were picked on the third and final pass of the steep south facing hillside in the final days of October.

Full malolactic fermentation, fermented and aged in traditional oak casks and stainless steel, and then kept for 30 months on lees. This wine is a uniquely rich and savoury expression from our chalk valley vineyards, showing the complexity achieved by late harvested grapes.

In a beautiful chalk valley in the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside, Hundred Hills first harvest here was only in 2016! It is quickly becoming one of England’s most quality driven and sought after sparkling wine producers.

Hundred Hills' Stephen and Fiona Duckett sought input from Michel Salgues, a University of Montpellier professor whose former pupils included Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon, Chef de Caves at Roederer. His presence helped open doors in Champagne, allowing the team and Hundred Hills to learn from the very best.

In 2014 they started planted vines, using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir clones that were typically found in Champagne in the 1960s. With 17 hectares, yields are low, grapes are picked late and all the wines are vintage.