Ulrich Hoffmann, has been a winemaker and consultant for 15 years, working at the Rolf-Willy estate in BadenWürttemberg, Chateaux de Fieuzal and Haut-Gardére in Bordeaux, Artadi in Navarra, and Cain Vineyards in Napa Valley. He might have continued on his travels had he not fallen in love with both the Sussex countryside and his now wife, Birgit Rathbone.

Together they have created a boutique business that is exclusively focused on quality. The grapes are sourced from the local region, where the cool climate is perfectly suited to growing the traditional Champagne varietals of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. The Hoffmann & Rathbone ethos is that the perfect sparkling wine cannot be rushed, the wines spend at least three years maturing in bottle on lees, and nothing is released until it is ready. These are pure and distinctive wines with real finesse, delicious to drink now but with definite ageing potential.