WELCOME TO OUR VINEYARD ON LEITH HILL
FROM VINE TO WINE WITH LOVE
Our vineyard adventure began with the first planting of four and a half acres of Pinot Noir in 2020. The following year we planted a further 12,000 vines, including superior clones of Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir Précoce. In 2023 we planted two new fields of Cabernet Cortis and Sauvignon Blanc, which will come into production in 2026. We now have 30,000 vines.
The land on the Leith Hill vineyard slopes gently southwards and the underlying geology changes from the greensand of Leith Hill to the clay of The Weald. This unique position provides the ideal soil and aspect for nurturing the vines to produce our wonderful artisan English wines.
SETTING THE SCENE
In the winter of 2020, we ploughed and harrowed our first field to prepare the soil for planting 8,000 Pinot Noir vines. These are spaced at 1.2m apart in 2.2 metre rows to ensure they get optimum sunlight in our English climate.
We carefully added stakes and tubes to each vine, to protect them and encourage them to grow.
We also erected deer fencing made from locally sourced sweet chestnut timber to protect the vines from the native roe deer, badgers, and rabbits.
MAKING THE WINE
While we waited for the vines to mature to produce our first harvest, we set up our own fully equipped winery on the estate. Converted from an old, abandoned barn, it has been built with sustainability in mind.
The winery now allows us to produce our own limited runs of outstanding quality wine, under the guidance of our talented winemaker, Salvatore Leone. His vision is to create naturally expressive artisan wines that are true to the vintage and unique local terroir of Leith Hill.
DISCOVER OUR GRAPES AND WINES
We use only the finest grapes grown in our own vineyard to make our artisan wines. Skilfully crafted and blended, Tanhurst Estate wines are distinctive for their elegance and complexity.