Why it matters
The producer
Patrick McGrath, who founded Hatch Mansfield, helped identify the opportunity for Domaine Evremond. The project launched in 2015 as a partnership between Champagne Taittinger and Hatch Mansfield, presented as the first time a Champagne house had invested in United Kingdom sparkling wine production.
The estate covers 125 hectares, with 60 hectares planted to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Domaine Evremond makes English sparkling wine from those classic sparkling varieties, with Classic Cuvée arranged as numbered editions that reflect different growing years.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The vineyards lie near the village of Chilham in Kent. Kent is described as one of England's warmest and driest counties, and its free draining chalk soil profile mirrors Champagne. The Classic Cuvée carries Kent as its appellation.
Stone Stile Farm offered deep, free draining chalk soils, south facing slopes and elevations from 50 to 90 metres above sea level. Chalk allows excess water to drain, while south facing slopes increase sunlight exposure. Elevation can moderate ripening, helping sparkling grapes retain acidity while reaching flavour maturity.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The vines are trained taller than vines in Champagne so they can adapt to the Kent place and climate. Taller training changes the vine's shape and places the fruiting zone higher above the ground, a practical adjustment to local conditions.
Most of the winery is subterranean, and its layout enables natural gravity led winemaking. Gravity handling moves must and wine through the winery with less pumping, reducing mechanical movement during cellar work. The building was designed with sustainability at the fore, with the underground layout forming a central part of its construction.
Wines to know
The range in view
Classic Cuvée is a nonvintage blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The range is organized as numbered editions, with each edition shaped by its growing year while retaining the domaine's house style.
Edition II is based on the 2021 harvest, with reserve wines from 2020 and 2019, and contains 65% Pinot Noir. Both editions receive a dosage of 7 g/L and spend three years on the lees. Lees ageing keeps the wine in contact with yeast solids after secondary fermentation, which can soften the bubbles and add bready or pastry notes.