Intro to Henners Brut Sparkling – Henners Brut Sparkling Wine from Sussex in England has a biscuity brioche aroma on the nose, with delicate white flower and full fruit and on the palate it is full of citrus, apple and ‘leesy’ characters that add complexity to the palate. Full tasting note and wine making – They take a non-interventionist approach in the winery, made possible by the quality of the fruit. A proportion is fermented in aged oak barrels to add subtle character and layers to the wine. This wine spends over 27 months on its lees. The producer – Henners is owned and run by Lawrence Warr and is the result of his long term dream to produce the finest English Sparkling Wine. Larry started his career as an automotive engineer in the exciting world of Formula One. Having left Formula One to set up an engineering consultancy, the search for the perfect vineyard site began. The search was a lengthy and dedicated one – as the ideal combination of soils, aspect, slope, altitude and microclimate was difficult to find. After about 18 months of searching, I found the site that would become Henners Vineyard, where free draining sandstone soils, a steep south facing slope, and low altitude combine. The vineyard in Herstmonceux, East Sussex (just 4 miles from the sea and 24m above sea level), was planted in May 2007, with the winery following in 2009. Today, the 10 acre estate is planted exclusively with the traditional Champagne varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. As he says, My aim is to be large enough to do it professionally, but small enough to do it well. Larry named the vineyard Henners in honour of his French ancestor, Henners Dubois, who was forced to flee Paris for England during the French Revolution in the late 18th Century. Drink with – An elegant aperitif wine and a fantastic accompaniment to celebrations.
