Coates & Seely | Hampshire

In 2008, two old friends, Nicholas Coates and Christian Seely, embarked on a quest. They had between them successful careers in finance and winemaking, an unshakeable belief, and a burning desire to make, one day, a sparkling wine to rival the best in the world.

Their adventure drew them to the ancient chalk downlands of Hampshire, in Southern England. A mile to the south of the Hampshire vineyards, the clear chalk stream of the River Test flows along the valley floor. Three miles to the north lies the high chalk ridge of Watership Down, one of the highest points in Hampshire, which iron-age man first used as a vantage point. Nestled among wooded hillsides, at an altitude of 50 to 100 metres, the Coates and Seely vineyards lie on either side of a secluded V-shaped valley. The chalk soils and clay caps disgorge rugged flints which help retain the heat of the sun, warming the topsoil, while in the late summer and early autumn the enclosed valley helps trap the last of the season’s heat to ripen the grapes. The vineyard is cultivated without the use of pesticides, herbicides and with limited use of fungicides. The vines are hand-harvested when the grapes have reached optimum maturity and show the perfect balance of crisp acidity, sweet fruit, and bright saline minerality.

Now, more than a decade later, the Coates & Seely award-winning sparkling wines are listed in royal palaces, Michelin-starred restaurants and iconic houses around the world. Former winners of Best Overall Wine, Best Sparkling Wine, Best Blanc de Blancs and Best Sparkling Rosé at the UK Wine Awards.

The cuvées of Coates & Seeley are above all an expression of the Hampshire terroir. Extended lees ageing and crafted to the highest winemaking standards which gives them the depth and complexity which is unrivalled.