Westwell can be found just beneath the Pilgrims Way on the North Downs in Kent, a historic route frequented by pilgrims journeying to Canterbury. The estate cultivates four distinct grape varieties - Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Ortega.
The estate enjoys an optimal blend of climate, aspect, and soil. With six classified soil geologies, each variety is strategically planted to complement these factors. All wines are meticulously crafted on-site from the estate's own fruit, affording complete control over the entire process. The future holds promise for Westwell, with a commitment to experimentation, exploring techniques such as skin contact, dessert wines, wild ferments, amphora, pet nats, and more, all while minimizing intervention at every stage.
The guiding philosophy at Westwell is straightforward: cultivate with care, respect the soil, and craft exceptional, honest wines from exceptional fruit.
Crafted through traditional bottle fermentation, Westwell Blanc de Blancs 2013 showcases Chardonnay grapes meticulously handpicked and sorted for quality. Bottled in the summer of 2014 and disgorged in June 2021, the extended lees aging imparts complexity and depth. The wine presents a vibrant, elegant citrus profile, accompanied by crisp vanilla pastry notes and the quintessential saline minerality characteristic of our top vineyard blocks. This exclusive release is limited to 1250 bottles.
Current Winemaker, Adrian Pike, notes "We took over Westwell in the summer of 2017. Having tasted through the sparkling wines which we had inherited (from previous owner and winemaker John Rowe), we realised that there were some real jewels amongst them. The 2013 Blanc de Blancs was one of the highlights - a pristine and elegant Chardonnay with the acidity for longevity. We feel that now is the right time to release it, but we’re also holding 500 back for a zero dosage release in a couple of year’s time. The current iteration has a modest dosage of 6g per litre. It’s a real celebration of Chardonnay and how it can develop with careful ageing."