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In the North Kent Downs, Cobham House occupies a sunlit sweet spot; where the bright, dry weather of the Kentish coast meets the rich, chalky soils for which Kent is famed. Nurtured by sun and soil, fruit ripens slowly here - producing balanced, vibrant wines with elegance and poise.
Planted at 100 metres above sea level on a gentle south-facing slope, our vines capture the sun’s warmth throughout the day. As evening falls, cooler air drifts across the vineyard, preserving the bright, crisp character of our wines. The land slopes softly toward an old railway cutting below, allowing colder air to slip away in spring - one of those quiet, natural advantages that can make all the difference in more challenging years.
Beneath the vines, the soil tells the real story. This is chalk country - bright, pale, free-draining ground that encourages roots to grow deep, consistently accessing moisture and nutrients, improving vine health and resilience. Threaded through the chalk are flints - dark, glassy stones that warm quickly in the sun, gently nudging ripening in Kents cooler, maritime climate.
“At Cobham House, it’s not a question of yield, but the consistent, high quality of the fruit.”
Rob Poyser, Vinescapes
The loamy, chalk soils at Cobham House are akin to the high-yielding granite soils of Beaujolais, Gamay’s spiritual home. Sharing many unique physical properties - most notably good water drainage and soils that warm quickly in spring and retain heat, to steadily ripen the grapes. Granite soils, despite generally having a low pH, produce Gamay with surprisingly high natural acidity. Gamay has therefore taken well to the high-pH, chalky soils of North Kent, producing high-quality juice with balanced acidity and vibrant, fresh, and delicate fruity aromas.
