OUT OF TOWN: ESCAPE THE CITY TO BALFOUR WINERY IN STAPLEHURST, KENT
February 2024
Even the most stubborn champagne stalwarts are beginning to admit, some English sparkling wine is really bloody good. A visit to Balfour winery’s stunning retreat on the Hush Heath estate is enough to convince even the most traditional thinkers that it’s well worth trying something new. In spite of years (and a small fortune) spent importing rare grower champagnes for private tastings with friends, my English sparkling knowledge remained woefully surface-level. On a clear grey Saturday in February, my husband and I made the surprisingly quick train journey across to Kent to see what all the fuss is about.
In 2007, co-founders Richard and Leslie Balfour-Lynn made waves in the wine world when their Balfour Brut Rosé became the first English wine to win a gold medal and the Trophy at the International Wine Challenge. Since then, they’ve continued to produce a wide variety of still and sparkling wine, including limited winemakers’ editions that bestow full creative freedom to Balfour’s father and son team of Owen and Fergus Elias. Not bad for an endeavour that began with the simple maxim: “If we can’t sell it, we’ll drink it”.
This good-humoured approach to winemaking is reflected throughout the estate. Leslie Balfour-Lynn’s personal art collection adorns the walls, from a painstakingly knitted replica of a Balfour bottle, to a playful sketch of a guitar signed Ronnie (Wood, of course) framed in the corner. Midway through our lunch, we’re treated to a personal audience with Richard, who is as delighted to talk about the wine as to tell us the stories behind the art collaborations on some of the labels.
Recommendations from staff clearly come with a great deal of personal affection, and it’s hard to argue when the sommelier explains just how well the Luke’s Pinot Noir complements the rabbit bon bon starter (he was completely correct). By the end of our lunch, packed with locally sourced sustainable ingredients, we were nicely primed for the tasting masterclass that had been cued up for us.
A small group of us headed into one of several private tasting rooms for the masterclass, where we went through six different varieties of wine. Lightweights be warned: the team is generous when serving! We try a mixture of still and sparkling wines, ranging from a straightforwardly well-executed Chardonnay to a pleasingly complex Blanc de Noirs, and of course, the award winning Balfour Brut Rosé.
There is, of course, the opportunity to buy bottles to take home, and Londoners will be relieved by the exceedingly good courier service. We opted for one each of the Winemakers’ limited edition bottles. Les Sixes, which combines six different grape varieties to create a sparkling wine far smoother than expected, and the Saignée 2018, which is delightfully dry on the mouth with strong notes of rose petals. Retrospectively, I only wish I’d ordered more!
Balfour Winery are treating Mayfair Musings readers to 10% off when they book a Wine Tour and Tasting or the luxury Wine and Dine experience. Use the code MAYFAIRMUSINGS to claim your discount, valid until the end of August 2024.
Balfour Winery, Five Oak Lane, Staplehurst, Kent, TN12 0HT
