For over 1000 years England was governed administratively in ‘Hundreds’ which were literally set up to encompass areas of England that could raise 100 men to fight for the king in times of war. The vineyards lie in the ancient Pyrton Hundred, which was one of the few Oxfordshire Hundreds mentioned in the Doomsday Book. They are in the ‘Hills of the Hundred’ so Hundred Hills seemed to fit.
Reason for location - the climate warmed through the 1990s and 2000s and was regarded that the chalk valleys of the south would have exceptional potential for chardonnays and pinots, given the success of Champagne and Burgundy.
In 2009 Hundred Hills put together a team to search for the perfect chalk valley in England, focusing on sustainable viticulture to deliver terroir-driven wines. They landed on the Hundred Hills terrior.
In addition to having perfect chalky soils which drain freely and capture the summer warmth, the topography of Hundred Hills Vineyard provides a sheltered dry valley with slopes sufficient to allow spring frosts to drain away while protecting vines from the worst of the prevailing westerly winds. The climate in England is changing and the sunshine and rainfall at Hundred Hills today are almost identical to the levels seen in Champagne forty years ago.
The cool climate allows the grapes to remain healthy for well over 100 days year after year. This allows the flavours and aromas to develop, ripen and concentrate while still leaving appropriately low sugars and the vital acids at harvest, required for creating long lasting fine sparklings.
Enjoy a taste of the finest limited edition wines from Hundred Hills starting with our vintage defining 2018 Illustration No.1, through to our acclaimed single-parcel 2019 Blanc de Blancs, and finishing with our rich and creamy 2019 Hillside No.3. Together these three wines showcase the range of fine wines emerging from Hundred Hills, whose wines have now appeared at over 30 of the very top Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK, pairing with some truly fabulous culinary creations.
The award winning Chiltern Barn, set down in the floor of the Stonor Valley and surrounded by the vineyards, houses a state of the art winery, wine cellars, beautiful tasting rooms and its own wine library where fine wines from around the world can be sampled.
The winery alo benefits from natural night-cooling and houses sophisticated temperature control systems for each wooden cask and steel tank, beneath the floors. There is capacity for each of the vineyard parcels to be vinified separately before being tasted and either combined or kept apart as desired to create the most exciting and distinctive wines of each season. The tasting rooms above the winery allow up to sixteen guests to enjoy dinner and our cellars house our long aging magnums in a naturally cooled environment.
Not bad for an industry that was riducled in the 80's for its lack of finesse elegance and know how.
These fabulous wines are available from The Grape Wizard and the Sommelier please have a look at the Chardonnay’s , Pinot Noir and all other varietals on the site
Its not Just about me ! Its all about the grapes! Find your grape!
