Discover Balfour 1503 by Hush Heath Estate

Hush Heath Estate in Kent, one of England's top premium wine producers, has been developing its Balfour 1503 traditional method English sparkling wines since 2014. Today these wines, all made from estate grown Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, can be found in wine aisles across the UK priced from under £20 per bottle. On an international level, Balfour 1503 Rosé is now the first and only English wine in Ontario in Canada, available from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), which is the biggest single buyer of wine in the world.

Every bottle of Balfour 1503 has been crafted by winemakers Owen Elias and Victoria Ash to deliver wines that are typically English (vibrant acidity, fresh fruit flavours) and Hush Heath Estate's signature finesse, to customers of Majestic, M&S, Co-op, and most recently in the UK, Tesco.

The name of Balfour 1503 references Hush Heath Estate's history and draws attention to the provenance of the wine.  Built in 1503, Hush Heath Manor, home of the Balfour-Lynn family, remains at the heart of the estate and overlooks its vineyards, orchards, and winery.

Each Balfour 1503 cuvée has been developed individually from a range of base wines and expresses subtle differences unique to each blend.

Balfour 1503 Classic Cuvée and Rosé

Created in 2014, Balfour 1503 launched as Hush Heath Estate's first non-vintage sparkling wines; a Classic Cuvée and Rosé, which were launched initially throughout the Majestic chain at an RRP of £19.99 (Mix Six Price).  The goal of the Hush Heath team was to produce typically English, stylistically soft and fruity, affordable wines that were accessible to consumers on a national level.  The wines were a runaway success with Balfour 1503 Classic Cuvée winning gold at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2016, and Balfour 1503 Rosé is now also available in Tesco and can be found on the lists of some large restaurant groups.

Balfour 1503 Oast House Classic Cuvée and Rosé exclusive to M&S, RRP £22.00

Next Hush Heath Estate joined with M&S and planned to develop a style of Balfour 1503 suited specifically to the tastes of M&S customers and to fit alongside their already existing range of English wines. The result is the Balfour 1503 Oast House Cuvée range (Classic Cuvée and Rosé), which launched regionally in 2015 and gained national listings in 2016.

Balfour 1503 Foxwood Cuvée exclusive to Co-op, RRP £16.99

In 2016, and as part of the Co-op's extensive relaunch, Hush Heath Estate and the local convenience retailer – two businesses sharing values of provenance, quality, and craftsmanship – worked together to launch a new English sparkling wine.  The resulting blend is Balfour 1503 Foxwood Cuvée, with grapes sourced from the newest vineyard at Hush Heath Estate, incorporating young, vibrant fruit, and a small percentage of Pinot Gris.

Hush Heath Estate sales director Hilary Green comments:

“As a boutique, family-owned winery we are able to respond relatively quickly to the tastes and needs of our customers, and we recognised a gap for affordable English fizz of excellent quality and provenance.  All of Hush Heath's products are the best possible expression of our estate-grown fruit and share our signature style: clean, pure and elegant fruit flavours with typical English acidity.

“We have close partnerships with businesses and buyers across the UK and produce distinctive styles of first-class English sparkling wine to satisfy the thirst of their customers, and all of our Balfour 1503 wines are available at very accessible price points.  By making our Hush Heath Estate wines available in retailers nationwide we are inviting wine lovers to not only enjoy our high quality fizz but to also embark on an English wine journey and visit our immaculate vineyards and winery, and experience our excellent hospitality in Kent.”