London, 13 June 2024 – England’s oldest commercial vineyard Hambledon, based in Hampshire, recently acquired by fine wine merchant Berry Bros. & Rudd and port producer Symington, wowed industry experts to be declared a Master at the Global Sparkling Masters 2024. The expert judges, including six Masters of Wine, gave it this top medal after tasting well over 200 wines from every corner of the globe.
The competition, organised by industry-leading publication the drinks business, was open to any sparkling wine made anywhere in the world. Hambledon’s Première Cuvée Brut Non Vintage was one of just seven wines awarded the top Master medal, an even higher accolade than Gold, equating to 97+ points. This put the home-grown success story in the same league as Champagnes from Lanson, as well as wines from the famous regions of Asti and Catalonia’s Cava.
Patrick Schmitt MW, chair of judges, praised the wine for its aromatics, ‘with scents of pastry and raspberries, along with notes of rhubarb and custard’, as well as its refreshing character, ‘with a palate-cleansing finish, featuring a chalky dry sensation, and a firm acid bite’.
Première Cuvée is produced from Hambledon’s own vineyard, on South East facing chalk slopes. The sparkling wine is a blend of the classic champagne grape varieties, with a majority of Chardonnay, and is aged over five years on the lees.
Managing Director James Osborn rejoiced about the winery’s recent win: ‘we are incredibly proud that our persistent dedication to creating the finest wines is once again being recognised and awarded, especially by such a prestigious organisation as the Global Wine Masters. Founded in 1952, Hambledon Vineyard is often regarded as the birthplace of English wine. This is why we believe we have a significant role in leading the awakening of English wines’. He added: ‘we hope that our efforts in making those exceptional wines will drive more and more interest for our growing category’.
The results of our competitions in the past years seem to corroborate James Osborn’s point, with a growing success for the English wines entered. Last year’s sparkling competition saw Devon-based Sandridge Barton being awarded a Master medal for its Blanc de Noirs, while in 2024, another wine from Hambledon, their Classic Cuvée Non Vintage, as well as wineries Balfour and Busi Jacobsohn were awarded a Gold medal respectively for the Global Sparkling Masters, the Global Rosé Masters and the drinks business Spring Tasting 2024.
Full results of the competition are available on the drinks business‘s website through this link: https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2024/06/all-of-the-medallists-from-the-global-sparkling-masters-2024/
About The Global Wine Masters Competitions
The Global Wine Masters have rewarded excellence in winemaking since 2013, helping quality brands to stand out and consumers to drink with confidence. Through its unique structure – defining categories by grape variety or style rather than region – the competition series lets the finest wines in the world compete against each other. Every competition is judged by the very best palates in the world: Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers and senior buyers.
The Global Wine Masters award wines with Bronze, Silver and Gold medals, and Master medals for the very best entries:
Bronze (85-88): A well-made wine that qualifies for our seal of approval. This wine is enjoyable and meets customer expectations.
Silver (89-92): A high-quality wine that clearly demonstrates good winemaking while serving as a strong example of its style, source or dominant grape.
Gold (93-96): A brilliant wine that is a benchmark for its type. This wine has lasting appeal and shows great balance, complexity and intensity.
Master (97-100): An outstanding example of its type, showing impeccable winemaking. This wine delights for its wonderful texture, perfect balance and broad range of delicious, persistent flavours.
The results of each competition are published in the drinks business magazine and website (circulation of 13,000 print copies and 1.9 million webpage visits per month). This large reach guarantees that entrants’ medal wins are visible to a truly international and industry-focused audience.
