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THE INVESTOR
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INTERVIEW
It’s a long-term
project; we’re
not expecting to
make any money
for 20 years
vineyard will be
home to about
5,000 vines per
hectare, compared
to a typical 10,000
per hectare in
Bordeaux.
The vines will
produce their rst
crop in 2019, with
the rst bottles
likely to go on sale ve years later,
though it will be considerably longer
before the venture sees its rst
pro ts.The ultimate goal is to produce
around 300,000 bottles of Domaine
Evremond a year,
‘It’s a long-term project; we’re not
expecting to make any money for 20
years,’ says McGrath.
Hatch Mans eld’s history dates back
to 1802 and the rights to the name
were bought in 1993 by three wine
producers: Louis Jadot, Errazuriz and
Villa Maria, who wanted to form their
own distribution company. Since then,
Hatch Mans eld has been appointed, in
the UK, to develop
the brands and
distribute wines of
16 independent and
family-owned wine
producers, including
EskValley Estate,
Joseph Mellot,
Jean-Luc Colombo
already has experience of establishing an
operation – Domaine Carneros by
Taittinger – in California, which it set up
20 years ago with the Kopf family of
KobrandWine & Spirits. So Pierre-
Emmanuel said we should do something
together in the UK.This is a project
between friends.’
Taittinger already had strong ties with
Kent; Pierre-Emmanuel’s father, Jean,
twinned Canterbury with Reims more
than 45 years ago when he was the
Mayor of Reims. So together with the
suitability of the terroir – the soil,
microclimate and topography – Kent
was the perfect place to look for land.
It took time to nd a suitable site, but
the team eventually settled on a plot
near Chilham.The average price per
hectare was £31,000.‘We knew we
needed to be cautious and take our time
in nding the right site,’ says McGrath.
‘Stone Stile Farm was selling several
plots that were sheltered, south-facing
and, crucially, on chalk.Taittinger feels
comfortable with chalk.All of
Champagne is on chalk.’
Work is due to clear 40 hectares of
fruit trees.The land will then be left to
rest before a cover crop is planted.Vines
will begin to be planted in the spring of
2017.The remaining land will be home
to a visitor centre.
McGrath says soil
samples indicate there
are small variations
across the plot, so the
vineyard will use
three di erent
rootstocks and nine
di erent vine clones
to suit the underlying
soil. McGrath says the
and Kleine Zalze,
as well as
Taittinger.
Taittinger and
Hatch Mans eld
have recruited
Master of Wine
Stephen Skelton as
viticulture
consultant on the
project because,
according to McGrath,‘no one knows
more about English wine’.
Likewise, Hatch Mans eld has chosen
St. James’s Place for its expertise in
nancial services to provide employee
bene ts for its sta and directors.
‘John Greening is our “point man” but
we talk to all of his team, who give us an
excellent service,’ says McGrath.‘We
really enjoy the relationship. John and his
team are e cient and helpful; we have
total trust and con dence in all the
services they provide.’
The popularity of English sparkling
wine has soared in recent years, in tandem
with the quality, but the fact that one of
France’s most renowned champagne
houses has chosen to invest in the industry
is the ultimate seal of approval.
‘As a team, we have a real belief in the
potential of English sparkling wine,’ says
McGrath.‘Our aim is not just to be an
English sparkling winemaker, but also to
be a signi cant supporter of the whole
English wine industry.’
CV
Patrick McGrath grew up in the
wine trade – his father was a Master of
Wine and they are the only father and son
Master of Wine combination in the world.
Patrick started out working as a shop
assistant in Victoria Wine, and in the course
of his career he has worked for Grants of
St. James’s and Mentzendorff, joining Hatch
Mansfield as Managing Director in 1994.
Patrick is teased about his five attempts
to pass his Master of Wine qualification.
‘There is one simple answer – I am a poor
wine taster!’ he jokes. In fact, it is very rare
for people to gain this qualification at the
first attempt. There are only 338 Masters
of Wine and all had to pass a theory exam
consisting of five essays covering wine
making, marketing, the chemistry of wine
and viticulture, and a practical comprising
three tastings – each of 12 wines – three
mornings in a row.
Patrick is a keen mountaineer and goes
ice climbing at least once a year, climbing
frozen waterfalls around Chamonix, but
‘always with a guide’, he says.
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