Looking Back on the 2024 Vintage: A Harvest of Grit, Resilience, and Promise

As we step into a new year, we take time to pause and reflect on the one just past, with all its challenges and lessons. The 2024 vintage may not go down as the greatest of England’s grape harvests, and yet it stands as a powerful testament to the resilience, ingenuity, and determination of winemaking in this country.

In a land where the weather is as much a character as the winemaker, each season feels like a roll of the dice. Like true Brits, we may grumble a little along the way, but with the same stubborn determination that defines us, we’re also the first to pull on our boots and march headlong into the rain. Join us as we recount the story of the 2024 vintage, a year shaped by obstacles, creativity, and teamwork.

A Very Wet Growing Season

The 2024 growing season began with promise, a warm, frost-free spring set the stage for optimism for the year ahead. Yet, as summer unfolded, persistent rain and high disease pressure tested vineyard management across the country. The harvest period at Hattingley Valley stretched from the 22nd September to the 25th October and brought some very welcome, yet fleeting, late-season sunshine, allowing for a slightly delayed harvest.

While overall volumes were modest compared to 2023's bumper crop, the fruit quality, though varied, offered pockets of promise. Notably, our partner vineyards in the East of the country, Kent in particular, produced some of the most impressive results, showcasing ripeness and concentration against the odds. At Hattingley Valley, our network of multiple vineyard sites and partners proved invaluable, allowing us to balance challenging conditions with bright spots of good quality fruit across the South of England. Pinot Meunier was the best quality of the three Classic varietals, with some good quality Pinot Noir from various sites, showing promise for the quality of our Sparkling Rosé in particular. 

Innovating Year-on-Year

At Hattingley Valley, we are continually striving for innovation, and the 2024 vintage was no exception. This year, we introduced a further four 500-litre puncheons, to the four already in our collection, these are large barrels that are designed to impart subtle oak influence while enhancing complexity. While the winemakers were initially unsure about the intensity of the oak flavour imparted to the wines, the large staves and size of the barrels balanced the potency of oak, giving the perfect subtle touch, just as they had hoped. The puncheons have been a fantastic addition to the winery, and the team is equally as proud of the racks they sit on, made in Sheffield from British steel, for British wine!

The winery continued to explore new winemaking techniques, experimenting with juice clarity, barrel usage at different stages of the process, and tweaks to malolactic fermentation. Each innovation brings us closer to crafting wines that perfectly balance tradition and creativity, ensuring we continue to evolve with every vintage.

A Harvest Team To Remember 

This harvest wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and ingenuity of our winery team. Faced with logistical and technical hurdles, from unexpected equipment failures to fruit delivery challenges, the team rose to every occasion. Nights spent fixing machinery under the glow of headlamps and working in every weather (torrential downpours!) exemplify the grit and camaraderie that defined this year.

The collaborative spirit among our permanent staff and temporary harvest workers turned even the most daunting tasks into moments of triumph. It’s in these moments that the heart of English winemaking truly shines.

We Rally!

A wise winemaker once said: "The art of winemaking is a testament to passion and patience". The 2024 vintage, despite its hurdles, certainly embodies this sentiment. As the wines from 2024 are still developing, we will have to wait and see the results for this vintage, in the winery in the coming months.

At Hattingley Valley, challenges are met not with despair but with determination. Rain may dampen the vineyards, but it never dampens our spirits. Together, with a little magic in the winery and the support of our incredible team, we rally. Here’s to a vintage that, while imperfect, reminds us why we love what we do. So, as the new growing season of 2025 begins, join us as we raise our glasses to another year of English winemaking and toast to the exciting journey ahead!