Heppington Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022

Although a relative newcomer to the scene Heppington is among the burgeoning number of vineyards in the Southeast helping to build the reputation of English wine. QC Henry Blaxland and his wife Gill are the ones who started the project and after having some of their land on the Kent Downs south of Canterbury, on which previously grew apples and blackcurrants, assessed as excellent for growing vines, they planted just over 6 hectares in 2016. The climate in their part of East Kent is ideal for the varieties they’re growing; Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier together with a small amount of Pinot Gris. And the gently sloping south facing aspect of the vineyard combines with the chalky and flinty geology to give them the ideal spot.

Their first harvest was in 2018 and since then they’ve built up a range of still and sparkling wines, whites, reds and rosés which aren’t extravagantly expensive, but are superb adverts for increasingly high quality wines being made in English vineyards.