Windsor Great Park Vineyard 2015

English fizz has been soaring in quality over the last decade and today England produces some of the finest in the world. Fitting perhaps as the sparkling wine method was discovered by Sir Christopher Merret in 1662. Vineyards aren’t new to England either – the Romans were the first to plant them, while King Henry II did so at Windsor Castle in the 1100s. Eight centuries later, in 2010, Tony Laithwaite discovered a 3-hectare, south facing plot in Windsor Great Park, sloping down to Great Meadow Pond, that had all the attributes for a top-class vineyard – gentle breezes, a moderate climate, well drained soils. We planted Champagne’s classic varieties and harvested our first grapes in 2013. The result: a fine fizz with rich toasty length.