hundred hills
In a beautiful chalk valley in the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside, you’ll find Hundred Hills winery. The first harvest here was only in 2016, but thanks to the drive of the Duckett family, as well as deep links with the local Manoir au Quatre Saisons, this has become one of England’s most quality driven and sought after sparkling wine producers.
​
Hundred Hills is the brainchild of Stephen and Fiona Duckett. Stephen’s first career was in tech, Fiona was an academic. Together they’d long been wine lovers, but it was a bottle of Nyetimber 1992 that proved the pivotal moment. Stephen’s background in data helped inform their search for their very own vineyard in the south of England. It was information on soils and climate that led to this beautiful valley, near Stonor Park, as well as the input of Michel Salgues, a University of Montpellier professor whose former pupils included Jean-Baptiste Lecaillon, Chef de Caves at Roederer. His presence helped open doors in Champagne, allowing the team and Hundred Hills to learn from the very best.
​
In 2014 they started planted vines, using Chardonnay and Pinot Noir clones that were typically found in Champagne in the 1960s. There’s now 17 hectares under vine, which Stephen reckons is about the perfect size for what he wants to do.
​
Yields are low, and the grapes are picked late, making sure that they’re as ripe as possible. This gives the wines a concentration and depth of flavour that’s impressive. All the wines are vintage, with the family intending it to stay that way. And while fermentation is in stainless steel, a variety of different sizes and toasts of oak barrels are used to age the base wines, and all wines undergo between two and five years on the lees. The wines are specific to parcels in the vineyard: the back labels show exactly where they’re from. This makes these some of the most individual English Sparkling Wines out there.
1
Preamble No. 2
The Sanford & Benedict vineyard, located in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, was planted in 1971 and is home to the oldest Pinot Noir vines in Santa Barbara County. The soils in the western Santa Ynez Valley have lower quantities of clay than other areas of the valley. They are comprised of Gazos clay loam, with 15% to 30% slopes, and Santa Lucia shaley clay loam, with 9% to 15% slopes in blocks 5, 6 and 10. The area receives foggy mornings and long, cool days, resulting in a longer growing season and lower yields.
2
Preamble Rosé
His Colour Block Series Pinot Noir showcases the Steels Creek vineyard. Ben always crafts his wines in a way that allows the end product to sing of the place it hails from, ensuring he preserves the character of the terroir.
3
Blanc de Blancs
Located 18 miles from the ocean in the Santa Maria Valley, the Bien Nacido Vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The vines grow in soils comprised of the Elder series and Shedd series. The Elder series consists of two blocks, found on flood plains and alluvial fans with an elevation range of 100 to 1,500 feet, with 9% to 15% slopes. The site experiences an average annual rainfall of 12 to 18 inches. Just uphill along the road is where the well-drained, Chamise clay loams of the Shedd series can be found. Slopes here are 30% to 45% and elevations range from 200 to 2,500 feet, with an average annual rainfall of 14 to 16 inches.
3
Rosé de Saignée
Located 18 miles from the ocean in the Santa Maria Valley, the Bien Nacido Vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The vines grow in soils comprised of the Elder series and Shedd series. The Elder series consists of two blocks, found on flood plains and alluvial fans with an elevation range of 100 to 1,500 feet, with 9% to 15% slopes. The site experiences an average annual rainfall of 12 to 18 inches. Just uphill along the road is where the well-drained, Chamise clay loams of the Shedd series can be found. Slopes here are 30% to 45% and elevations range from 200 to 2,500 feet, with an average annual rainfall of 14 to 16 inches.
Sustainability
​
In 2020, Hundred Hills became the first vineyard in England to actively use low orbit satellite data collection to monitor soil, nutrients and vine health. Our VineSignal project is being undertaken in collaboration with Deep Planet Artificial Intelligence and is supported by the EU Horizon Project. The project uses satellites and ground sensors to monitor and predict soil health to depths of up to 1.5m. In 2022, Deep Planet released the findings of this sustainable research with the aim of improving sustainable viticulture, monitoring disease in the vineyard and helping vineyard and wineries worldwide make critical decisions to tackle climate change.
​
Hundred Hills’ sustainable newly built winery minimizes its carbon footprint. Celotex cavity wall insulation is used throughout the building, low-level natural ventilation and night cooling is used in the production area and a thermostatic controller maintains an ambient internal temperature. Grape pomace during harvest is spread directly onto local farmers’ fields.