FURLEIGH ESTATE

Furleigh Estate is set in stunning Dorset countryside near Bridport, just 5 miles from the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and with similar soils to Champagne. The estate’s 50 acres of vineyards are mainly planted with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The proprietors Ian Edwards and Rebecca Hansford are charming, the small winery is immaculate and at every stage there is great attention to detail. Ian was voted UK Winemaker of the Year in 2012. They are very proud that all of their wine is made at Furleigh Estate from their own grapes. Unlike many of the larger English vineyards they do not import grapes from other counties. The first vines were planted in 2005 and they now produce an average of 40,000 bottles of sparkling wine and 10,000 bottles of still wines a year.

Furleigh’s flagship wine is their Classic Cuvée, a blend of 30% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier and 40% Chardonnay. The vintage Blanc de Noirs is made predominantly from Pinot Noir, with a little Pinot Meunier. After hand-picking, the grapes are ‘whole bunch’ pressed to obtain the finest juice. The wine is left on its lees for at least 18 months, with a further 2 months in the bottle after dosage (10g/l). The Blanc de Blancs is made entirely from the Chardonnay grape. It is an elegant, floral and exceedingly refreshing wine. After hand-picking, the grapes were whole bunched pressed to obtain the finest juice. The non vintage Rosé is 46% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, 14% Pinot Meunier. A tiny amount of Furleigh Estate’s Tyrannosaurus Red was added to the expedition liqueur at tirage. This resulted in a delightful soft pink sparkling rosé wine. We are now listing two of their still wines from the glorious 2018 harvest.