Balfour
A short drive from Chapel Down, at the Hush Heath estate in Kent, is another extraordinary British winery - Balfour. Family winemakers Owen Elias, Fergus Elias and Leslee Barbour-Lynn have been selling their beautiful English sparkling wine since 2002 - and they’re still experimenting and finessing more than ever before. Originally they were content to be a small winery producing 10,000 bottles a year but following their success at the 2008 IWC Awards, their ambitions have grown considerably.
Their Balfour 1503 Brut is their flagship, produced of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. Expect notes of thyme and apple - it works as a wonderful conversation starter and as such makes the perfect aperitif. No wonder it is served in British Airways’ First Class and was the official English wine of the London 2012 Olympics. Visiting the estate in Kent is a genuine joy to see where the hand-picked wines are selected - as well as the surrounding ancient oak woodlands that help create such favourable conditions (the deep Wealden clay through to Greensand).
Balfour specialise in elegant, fresh and precise wines, well-balanced, capable of delivering time after time - with a surprisingly lengthy mouth-watering finish. Having an on-site winery means that the quality control is second to none and that particular vintages can be aged more accurately. You can visit the spectacular facilities, complete with tasting room, and make sure you call in to the nearby Goudhurst Inn, a perfectly placed pub.