Digby Fine English, England’s terroir-obsessed blending house, has taken its status as England’s first negociant to the next level by acquiring its top Pinot supplying vineyard, Hilden Vineyard.

Digby is based in Arundel, West Sussex and is fresh off a spate of Gold and trophy wins in 2021, validating its unique approach to quality and style. Hilden Vineyard, in Kent, has been supplying Digby’s top Pinot fruit since 2018, and is now owned and run by Digby. The house’s model of identifying top vineyards with a diversity of soil types to blend into its signature house style has worked impressively since launch. The company’s goal is to permanently remain a jewel in the crown of English Sparkling wines. As the adage goes, ‘You can’t make great wine out of good grapes’, and Hilden has consistently produced Digby’s top Pinots since it came into production in 2018. With a site as special as this, Digby has ensured it will have Hilden’s fruit forever.

Hilden Vineyard was purchased recently from Philip Wright, who now becomes Digby’s new Chairman. The vineyard is on Wealden Clay-Sandstone soils and it is a part of Digby’s vineyard partner portfolio with vines on chalk, greensand and clay, spanning from Kent through to Sussex, Hampshire and Dorset.

Trevor Clough, Digby CEO & Head Blender commented: “A glass of fizz lasts but a moment, but land is forever. We are thrilled to take ownership of Hilden Vineyard, our signature vineyard on clay soils which produces the Pinot Noir for our rare and powerful Vintage Rosé. It is another step of Digby maturing as a business and a winery – we are putting in place everything that we need to endure as a luxury house of fizz for generations to come. To green & pleasant!”

Philip Wright, Digby Chairman added: “Since our first harvest in 2018, when Dermot Sugrue coined our fruit as “rare and brilliant”, we have been determined to develop the vineyard further. The opportunity to become involved in the Digby story and the end-to-end wine business, rather than just the growing of grapes, allows me to apply my experience to assist in growing the company as rapidly as possible. It is fun to be a part of a fast growing, young business.”