Roebuck Estates, England

Located close to the historic market town of Petworth in West Sussex, Roebuck Estates was established in 2013 by two Brits, Mike Smith and John Ball, whose love of wine, long-standing friendship, and belief in the potential of the English wine industry sparked several years spent searching for the perfect vineyard plots.

Viticulture

Grapes are sourced exclusively from the estates vineyards, located across the county of Sussex, widely regarded as one of the warmest and sunniest regions in England. Throughout the Summer and Autumn months, vineyards benefit from dry, warm days, resulting in a long, slow growing season and the perfect hang-time. Vineyards are planted on south facing slopes with a mixture of Burgundian and Champagne clones across a variety of soil types, producing a multitude of stylistic elements to play with when it comes to the final blending of the wines. Building a sustainable future is also incredibly important and Roebuck are one of the founding member of the Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (SWGB) certification scheme.

Winemaking

All the grapes destined for Roebuck’s bottle-fermented sparkling wines are harvested by hand and whole-bunch pressed. Only the finest estate-grown fruit is hand-selected for their wines, which are then fermented in old Burgundian oak, for added complexity. Extended lees-ageing (a minimum of 36 months) in bottle enhances the distinctive Roebuck Estates style, and wines are only released once they’ve reached optimum drinking potential and never before. The importance of sustainability extends through to their packaging.