Coates and Seely
Coates & Seely is an English maison of Metodo Classico, located in the deep hinterland of Southampton, in the southern part of England. The project was born in 2008 from the initiative of two old friends, Nicholas Coates and Christian Seely, driven by the desire to produce a sparkling wine across the Channel that could rival Champagne. The search for the right terroir led them to the Hampshire area, where they found chalky and clay soils and beautiful sunny hillside exposures, ideal for ripening grapes at a decidedly high latitude for viticulture. They began planting the classic grape varieties of the Champagne region: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Meunier, and within a few years their labels have proven their worth internationally.
Awards have not been lacking. In 2017, they won the award for Best Wine, Best Sparkling Wine, Best Blanc de Blanc, and Best Rosé Sparkling Wine at the UK Wine Awards. In 2019, the Blanc de Blancs "La Perfide" 2009 was awarded at the IWSC International Trophy as the best sparkling wine. To date, they are the only English wines present in the selection of George V in Paris. Following the meticulous work in the vineyard to bring the grapes to full ripeness, there is a winemaking process still conducted with a craft spirit, with the sole aim of producing wines of excellent quality. The company philosophy is to work with the great Champagnes model in mind, while trying to highlight the peculiarities of a terroir with unique and special characteristics.
The obsessive search for quality has led the winery to limit production to a few bottles, in order to maintain direct control over all phases of production. After the gentle pressing of the grapes, fermentations take place in concrete eggs, which promote the natural convective movements of the wine and keep the lees in suspension, enriching them with structure and aromatic complexity. At the end of the aging process, the base wines are blended and refermented in the bottle according to the Metodo Classico. Faithful to the best traditions of Champagne, the non-vintage sparkling wines rely on important percentages of reserve wines, which guarantee a pleasant expressive harmony. The sur lattes aging varies from 2 to 5 years depending on the cuvées.
Coates & Seely is an English maison of Metodo Classico, located in the deep hinterland of Southampton, in the southern part of England. The project was born in 2008 from the initiative of two old friends, Nicholas Coates and Christian Seely, driven by the desire to produce a sparkling wine across the Channel that could rival Champagne. The search for the right terroir led them to the Hampshire area, where they found chalky and clay soils and beautiful sunny hillside exposures, ideal for ripening grapes at a decidedly high latitude for viticulture. They began planting the classic grape varieties of the Champagne region: Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Meunier, and within a few years their labels have proven their worth internationally.
Awards have not been lacking. In 2017, they won the award for Best Wine, Best Sparkling Wine, Best Blanc de Blanc, and Best Rosé Sparkling Wine at the UK Wine Awards. In 2019, the Blanc de Blancs "La Perfide" 2009 was awarded at the IWSC International Trophy as the best sparkling wine. To date, they are the only English wines present in the selection of George V in Paris. Following the meticulous work in the vineyard to bring the grapes to full ripeness, there is a winemaking process still conducted with a craft spirit, with the sole aim of producing wines of excellent quality. The company philosophy is to work with the great Champagnes model in mind, while trying to highlight the peculiarities of a terroir with unique and special characteristics.
The obsessive search for quality has led the winery to limit production to a few bottles, in order to maintain direct control over all phases of production. After the gentle pressing of the grapes, fermentations take place in concrete eggs, which promote the natural convective movements of the wine and keep the lees in suspension, enriching them with structure and aromatic complexity. At the end of the aging process, the base wines are blended and refermented in the bottle according to the Metodo Classico. Faithful to the best traditions of Champagne, the non-vintage sparkling wines rely on important percentages of reserve wines, which guarantee a pleasant expressive harmony. The sur lattes aging varies from 2 to 5 years depending on the cuvées.
