Cuvée No. 01
Vintage Brut Réserve
Vintage 2019
Brioche, white peach, chalk
£48
Example Design Only — Not a Real Business
Back to Our Work⚜ Est. 1924 · Royal Warrant Holder · By Appointment to HM The King ⚜
South Downs Estate
Vineyard · Sussex · MCMXXIV
An English Wine Estate of Distinction
Of Chalk,of Crown, of Time.
Four generations of award-winning sparkling and still wines, grown on the south-facing chalk of the Sussex Downs.
Scroll
British Vineyard Guide
Gold · 2023
Country Estate Journal
Best in Show
Rural Heritage Magazine
Producer of the Year
Estate & Vineyard Review
Estate of the Year
Chapter I
The Estate
Forty acres on the South Downs
Planted in 1924 by Sir Edmund Fairfax upon his return from the Champagne, the estate has remained in the family for one hundred years and four generations.
The land sits at 110 metres above sea level on the warm southern slope of the Downs, where a thin mantle of flint sits upon ancient chalk laid down ninety million years ago beneath the sea. It is the same geology, by happy accident, as the great vineyards of Cramant and Avize.
Today the estate is farmed by Lady Emily Fairfax-Beaumont and her two daughters, alongside a team of fifteen vignerons and a Cellar Master, Pascal Bouvier, who joined us from Krug in 2009.
- Established 1924
- 40 acres under vine
- 110 m elevation
- Chalk & flint soils
- Hand-harvested
- Traditional method
100yrs
Of family stewardship
Chapter II — The Cellar
Our Wines
Six cuvées, each the quiet expression of a single hillside, a single season, a single intention.
Cuvée No. 02
Blanc de Blancs
Vintage 2018
Lemon curd, hazelnut, sea salt
£62
Cuvée No. 03
Estate Pinot Noir
Vintage 2020
Wild strawberry, violet, smoke
£38
Cuvée No. 04
Rosé de Saignée
Vintage 2021
Redcurrant, rose petal, flint
£42
Cuvée No. 05
Coronation Cuvée
Vintage 2017
Honeysuckle, gingerbread, gold
£95
Cuvée No. 06
The Dower House Late Disgorged
Vintage 2015
Toast, walnut, quince
£120
Chapter III — Visit
Reserve Your Visit
Reservation
Book Your Experience
Estimated total
£90
A confirmation will be sent within the hour. Cancellation up to 48 hours prior.
Chapter IV — Cellar Shop
Your Basket
Complimentary UK delivery over £150
Your cellar is currently empty.
Browse our winesOrder Summary
Subtotal£0
Wooden presentation case—
Delivery£12
Total
£0
Chapter V
The Calendar
Private dining, weddings & seasonal occasions
12
Jun
June
Midsummer Garden Dinner
7pm — 11pm
£165 ppLimited
26
Jul
July
Disgorgement Day Open Cellar
11am — 4pm
£35 ppFamily Welcome
14
Sep
September
Harvest Luncheon in the Vines
12pm — 4pm
£95 ppSold Out
05
Oct
October
Estate Wedding Open House
11am — 3pm
ComplimentaryRSVP
23
Nov
November
Coronation Cuvée Release Gala
7pm — late
£245 ppBlack Tie
18
Dec
December
Festive Long Gallery Tasting
6pm — 9pm
£75 ppFew Tickets
Chapter VI — The Journal
Dispatches from the Estate
Vintage Notes
12 May 2026
Why 2024 Will Be Remembered
Cool nights through August produced acidities our Cellar Master describes as 'crystalline'...
In the Cellar
28 April 2026
The Art of Slow Disgorgement
Twelve seconds. That is the difference between a great cuvée and a transcendent one...
From the Walled Garden
02 April 2026
An Audience with Pascal Bouvier
Our Cellar Master on Krug, on chalk, on patience, and on the year he nearly lost everything...
Chapter VII
Correspondence
By appointment & by post
We welcome enquiries from collectors, sommeliers, the press, and those wishing to visit. Our Cellar Office responds personally to all correspondence within one working day.
The Estate Office, South Downs Estate Vineyard, Sussex, BN8 6XX
+44 (0) 1273 555 094
cellar@southdownsestate.co.uk
Visiting Hours
Thursday — Sunday · 10am — 5pm
Closed Monday — Wednesday
By appointment only
Closed Monday — Wednesday
By appointment only