Liberty expands English sparkling range

Liberty Wines has augmented its English sparkling offering with the addition of Hampshire’s Hattingley Valley.

The producer, which was established in 2008, will join Nyetimber and Coates & Seely in Liberty Wine’s English sparkling portfolio as well as English still wine maker Stopham Esate.

Hattingley Valley currently has 10 partner vineyards in Hampshire and over 35,000 of its own vines on an 11-hectare vineyard planted primarily with Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

The 2010 Classic Cuvée, the estate’s first release, was made by winemaker Emma Rice and is a blend of these three varieties.

Rice uses barrel fermentation in all the Hattingley Valley wines as she likes the texture and richness derived from this technique, according to Liberty.

“We are big supporters of the English sparkling wine industry and have been looking to add to our portfolio a producer that both shares our quality ethos and complements our existing portfolio,” commented David Gleave MW, managing director at Liberty Wines.

The Hattingley Valley Classic Cuvée 2010 has an RRP of £29.99 per bottle and will be available from Liberty Wines at the beginning of September 2013.