2007
Herstmonceux, Hailsham
Henners began with an engineer looking at a Sussex hillside and seeing possibility. Lawrence Warr planted seven acres at Herstmonceux in 2007, choosing Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier for a low, south-facing site just five miles from the English Channel. The first commercial harvest arrived in 2011, and a relationship with wine merchant Boutinot helped the young estate find an audience. Boutinot bought Henners in 2017, bringing investment and a wider family of international wineries without sanding away the vineyard’s distinctly coastal character. Today Head Winemaker and Estate Manager Collette O’Leary leads a small team that makes both still and traditional-method sparkling wines. Estate fruit is joined by carefully selected grapes from growers around South East England, giving the blending bench more colours to work with while Henners’ own clay, sandstone and sea air keep the house style grounded in Herstmonceux. The visitor experience is pleasingly unbuttoned. Drop in for a glass, settle onto a terrace above the Pevensey Levels, book a vineyard tour or time your visit with one of the Cellar Door’s food pop-ups. This is serious English fizz served without unnecessary ceremony.
The Henners vines sit low above the Pevensey Levels, on a sunny south-facing slope only a few miles from the Channel. Coastal air lengthens the growing season and helps preserve the bright acidity needed for fine sparkling wine, while the sloping ground carries excess water towards the marshland below. Chardonnay brings citrus and structure, Pinot Noir adds breadth and red-fruit detail, and Pinot Meunier contributes perfume and easy charm. Selected grower fruit from elsewhere in South East England adds chalk and other soil expressions to the cellar’s blending palette.
WINEMAKER
Collette O’Leary is both Head Winemaker and Estate Manager, giving her a view of Henners that runs from the first vineyard decision to the final bottle. Her wines favour precision without severity: clear fruit, measured richness and enough lees time to turn the estate’s coastal freshness into texture. Supported by Operations Winemaker Sam Williams and Vineyard Manager Richard Morris, she leads a range that moves confidently between classical-method fizz and increasingly assured English still wines.
The Collection
£49
Lemon and ripe citrus meet a silky, buttery middle and a distinctly mouth-watering salty finish. Generous enough for dinner, precise enough to stay refreshing, and made for opening when the occasion calls for the better bottle.
£42
Crunchy green apple and pear arrive first, followed by sourdough crust and warm brioche. Fine bubbles and bright citrus keep everything lively, making this an elegant all-rounder for long lunches, gatherings and the first plate of something salty.
£42
Wild strawberry, raspberry and tart rhubarb drift into hedgerow flowers and a creamy, panna-cotta softness. Dry and delicate, with enough red-fruit flavour to hold its own beside summer food.
Cellar door
Thursday: 12:00–17:00
Sunday: 12:00–17:00
Friday: 12:00–20:00
Saturday: 12:00–20:00
Cellar door: April–September seasonal hours. Check the live visitor page before travelling for winter opening and current events.
