To the far side of the world and back again, the Heppington Vineyard story is the tale of the prodigal son, and the return of the king.

Owner Henry Blaxford’s ancestor Gregory Blaxford emigrated to Australia in 1806 – an era when the ‘lucky country’ was still a place largely unexplored by Europeans. Yet, with some incredible foresight, Gregory picked up a consignment of grape vines while stopping over at the Cape of Good Hope. By 1813, he had been amongst the first settlers to cross the Blue Mountains, and had planted his vines, later becoming the first ‘Australian’ to export wines back to London.

Two centuries later in 2016, descendent Henry – a noted KC barrister – planted around 15 acres of vines on a chalky, south-facing slope overlooking Canterbury. This Kent vineyard is planted to the classic sparkling wine varieties – Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier – and also a little Pinot Gris. Plantings include a mix of sparkling and still wine clones, meaning that the vineyard produces both, from grapes perfectly suited to the particular task.

While the vines are still young, Heppington’s wines are already showing a distinct purity of fruit across the range. The wines are delicate, elegant and finely poised, characteristic of their chalk-dominated soils.