Pierre-Emmanuel Taittinger, President of Champagne Taittinger and partner Patrick McGrath, Managing Director of Hatch Mansfield are celebrating the very first harvest at Domaine Evremond in Chilham, Kent, just one and a half years after the initial historic planting.
Champagne Taittinger, the only Grande Marque Champagne House to be run by its eponymous family, is the first big Champagne House to establish a vineyard in the UK to make premium English Sparkling wine. The first English Sparkling wines from Domaine Evremond should be released for drinking in 2023, after three years of ageing in bottle.
Comments Patrick McGrath: “We are thrilled that our vines have produced their first grapes after just one and a half years in Kentish soils. As the vines are still very young, this has been what I like to call a mini harvest. We are expecting the first full harvest to take place in 2019, mother nature permitting, but we are very pleased with the results so far and are very much looking forward to seeing how things develop over the years. It is exciting times.”
The Evremond vineyard is a joint venture between Champagne Taittinger, its UK agency Hatch Mansfield Ltd, and friends. It reflects the family focused philosophies and mutual respect of both companies. The Taittinger family has over 80 years of winemaking expertise in Champagne and plans to use this, alongside its British team, to help create a Premium English Sparking wine of real excellence.