Situated in the heart of the Isle of Wight, Gatcombe possesses a climate almost exactly the same as that of Burgundy — expressed through rich soils, gentle slopes, and more sunlight per year than anywhere in the United Kingdom.
Uniquely suited for vines, Gatcombe's three vineyards are planted with Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc — the four classical grapes from which both elegant still wines and traditional-method sparkling wines are made. The three blocks each have a name: Park Vineyard, Home Vineyard, and Hope Vineyard.
The 2025 harvest was the first. Three wines have been released from it — our Pinot Noir from Park Vineyard; a Rosé de Saignée from the Home Vineyard; and a Pinot Blanc from Hope Vineyard. The plantings are still young; the vines are finding their roots; the soils are learning their work. There is a long quiet stretch ahead before any of this stops feeling new.
Records from the de Lisle period note a wine press room at Gatcombe in 1350. The vines today are not the first to grow at Gatcombe; they are a return to something the estate already knew.
An independent viticultural assessment gave Gatcombe a Growing Degree Day score of 1,266 — comfortably above the 1,100 threshold required for Pinot Noir, and within the same band as the Rheingau and parts of Burgundy.
The site sits on the south and east-facing slopes of a sheltered valley, ten minutes inland from the Solent. The proximity of the sea moderates the extremes of summer and winter; the complex soils at the heart of the island combine chalk substrate with sandy loam and elements of blue clay, giving a clean, mineral character to the fruit; the wind is gentler here than on the south coast cliffs.
A first vintage, made by the fruit.
A small inaugural release from the 2025 harvest. The wines are made each year in small quantities, using fruit grown on the estate, vinified in our own winery, and bottled here. The list will grow as the vines do.
Hand-harvested 5 October. Destemmed and crushed, vinified with daily pigeage over 12 days. Aged 8 months in French oak.
Pinot Meunier. Hand-harvested 4 October. Destemmed-crushed and held 18 hours on skins; bled, then vinified at low temperatures over 2 weeks.
Hand-harvested 9 October. Crushed, destemmed, pressed and vinified at low temperatures over 2 weeks. 8 months of lees ageing in French oak.
The winery sits on the estate, a few moments' walk from the vines. A vertical basket press by Mori, Speidel stainless tanks, and François Frères French oak barrels — nothing more than the fruit asks for.
Every wine in the Gatcombe cellar is grown, picked, pressed, vinified, aged and bottled here. There is no out-sourcing, no contract winemaking. The fruit travels metres, not miles.
"From this convergence of light, warmth and heritage, we craft wines of singular provenance and ambition."
A guided walk through all three vineyards with our wine-maker, into the winery to see the press, tanks and barrels, and to a long table for a tutored tasting of three wines from the inaugural 2025 vintage. Served alongside sharing boards of small Isle of Wight cheeses and matched bites, brought through as pairings to bring out each wine in turn.