Hattingley Valley
About Hattingley Valley
There was a time we might’ve thought Épernay was as close as we’d get to the English wine frontier. That changed when this ambitious, charismatic and far-sighted producer from Hampshire got in touch. Hattingley Valley was established in 2008, when Simon Robinson planted the first south-facing site. He and “extraordinarily talented” (says Matthew Jukes) winemaker Emma Rice then planned the modern, eco-friendly winery in Wield, which was completed in 2010. It released its first wine in August 2013, and a year later was declared to have made the world’s finest vintage rosé in the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships. These wines have bright, clear, crisp fruit, a subtly fragrant hedgerow tone and searing acidity in seamless balance. Barrel ferments and lees ageing are judged perfectly for texture, complexity and overall integration. Jancis Robinson justly cites Hattingley Valley as one of the producers that “have really put English vineyards on the world wine map”. It’s our pleasure to give Australia a taste of this English idyll.
About Rob MacCulloch
In 2022, Rob MacCulloch returned to his home county of Hampshire to take up the position of Head Winemaker at Hattingley Valley Wines, big shoes to fill after the beloved founder and Head Winemaker Emma Rice handed over the reins. The MW stands for Master of Wine, a highly acclaimed position in the wine trade with only 418 of them in the World; we are honoured to say that we have one here at Hattingley Valley. With over two decades of experience in the wine industry, including a dozen winemaking harvests across five continents, Rob previously held the position of client winemaker for Hawke’s Bay Wine Company in New Zealand. He is one of a few full-time winemakers experienced in both wine production and wine commerce and boasts extensive skill with sparkling, white, rosé and red wines, in both cool and warm climates.
From Margaret River in Australia to Mosel Valley in Germany, Rob has travelled the globe making wine, and is well experienced in every element from vineyard to dispatch, with small family wineries through to volume-driven, export-focused operations. In his new role at Hattingley Valley, he will be responsible for leading the team of winemakers and overseeing the creation of the Hampshire-based winery’s award-winning still and sparkling wines.