2023 Harvest at Leonardslee Estate

The 2023 harvest at the English vineyard at the Leonardslee Estate in West Sussex has been nothing short of phenomenal. With near-perfect weather conditions, meticulous care of the vines, and a dedicated team effort, this year's harvest yielded record-breaking volumes of top-quality grapes.  

Set alongside the beautiful Grade I Listed gardens, originally created by renowned Victorian plant collector Sir Edmund Loder, Leonardslee's vineyards are a hidden gem. The 37-acre vineyard was first planted in 2017 and has rapidly flourished into a bountiful source of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes to produce Leonardslee's own English sparkling wines. The first release of wine will be in 2024.  

A Season of Optimal Conditions

The 2023 growing season got off to an ideal start with no frost damage and ideal weather conditions  during the delicate flowering and fruit set stages in spring. Warm, sunny weather in early summer provided excellent conditions for the grapes to develop.  

Leonardslee's managing director of wine operations, Barry Anderson, explains that July brought an unusual amount of rainfall that proved to be a blessing in disguise: "The very wet July led to phenomenal bunch weights. I've never seen such heavy bunches in my 25 years of farming." The rain caused the grapes to swell, resulting in large, dense clusters on the vines. 

Later in the summer, sunny weather returned allowing the grapes to ripen slowly and fully. "We had lovely slow ripening leading up to harvest in the middle of October," says Barry. The patience to leave the grapes hanging as long as possible allows them to develop optimal sugar levels and flavour complexity.  

Team Effort Brings in Bountiful Harvest 

With such a heavy crop on the vines, harvesting all the grapes in a timely fashion before autumn rains set in was a race against time. Fortunately, Leonardslee was up to the challenge with an outstanding team effort. 

At the peak of harvest in early October, a team of around 50 pickers worked each day - comprising 20 contracted vineyard workers along with 30 volunteers who helped out for half day shifts. "The volunteers really made a big difference this year, we had amazing support," Barry explains. In contrast to some vineyards where visitors pay to pick grapes as a one-off experience, engaging regular volunteers to help out across multiple mornings built camaraderie and ensured an efficient harvest.  

The pickers worked methodically, hand selecting only optimal bunches and taking care not to bruise the grapes. The harvest team was supported by Leonardslee's skilled vineyard managers Jaydon and Chloe, who maintained the canopy and health of the vines throughout the growing season. "The vineyard team has done an excellent job...that's also led to the success of this season," acknowledges Barry. 

However, processing capacity at the winemaking facility proved a bottleneck. With meticulous hand-picking maximising grape quality, the winery could only handle about 16 tons per day. Managing logistics to keep up with the harvest was a challenge, and plans are in place to expand wine making capabilities on-site for future vintages. 

Celebrating a Record-Breaking Vintage  

The harvest was completed on October 24th, yielding around 170 tons of grapes in total. For context, Leonardslee's previous highest harvest in 2021 was just 50 tons. "To achieve north of 11 tons per hectare is quite something," says Barry. "I never believed that we could achieve crops this big in England."  

The majority of the harvest was Chardonnay, with some blocks achieving up to an impressive 13 tons per hectare. In addition to sheer quantity, Barry reports exceptional flavour development in the grapes this year, especially in Chardonnay. "You can taste it in the vineyard yourself... Everything coming in had amazing flavour." 

Barry attributes the huge harvest to both human effort and a vintage where the stars aligned - great weather during flowering and fruit set, wet July for bunch weights, followed by a sunny September for ripening. Yet he emphasises that without meticulous vineyard management, the results would not have been possible. "It's a combination of the human element and climate conditions." 

With harvest completed, the grapes are now fermenting in tanks and barrels. Early indications are extremely promising, with bright, fruity Chardonnay and structured, complex Pinot Noir. Barry summarises: "We're very optimistic about the 2023 harvest vintage - it will definitely be one to remember." 

The bountiful harvest will allow Leonardslee to produce around 125,000 bottles of wine this year - well above initial estimates. While yields will fluctuate year to year, this phenomenal vintage proves the estate's potential to consistently produce high-quality English sparkling wines, Sussex Wine. 

 Join the Celebrations 

Visitors can experience award winning wines from Leonardslee’s sister estate in South Africa, Benguela Cove Lagoon Wine Estate, at wine tastings and tours on the Sussex estate. The wines are also available to enjoy over a classic afternoon tea at Leonardslee House and with Michelin Star dining at Restaurant Interlude – and at the new wine lounge or over lunch at the Vineyard Kitchen restaurant at Mannings Heath Estate, just three miles away. 

Benguela Cove wines will also be available at Leonardslee Illuminated, from November 24th. This highly popular annual event features an after-dark illuminated path with music, food, and wine on selected dates. 

“The harvest represents the fruits of a full year's work caring for the vines. Next year, visitors to Leonardslee can taste the fruits of that labour when the first vintages are released. It's an exciting time to experience England's newest Sussex Wine vineyard destination”, says Barry.