A mile to the south of the Hampshire vineyards, the clear chalk stream of the River Test flows along the valley floor. Three miles to the north lies the high chalk ridge of Watership Down, one of the highest points in Hampshire, which iron-age man first used as a vantage point. Nestled among wooded hillsides, at an altitude of 50 to 100 metres, the Coates & Seely vineyards lie on either side of a secluded V-shaped valley. The chalk soils and clay caps disgorge rugged flints which help retain the heat of the sun, warming the topsoil, while in the late summer and early autumn the enclosed valley helps trap the last of the season’s heat to ripen the grapes. The vineyard is cultivated without the use of pesticides, herbicides and with limited use of fungicides. The vines are hand-harvested when the grapes have reached optimum maturity and show the perfect balance of crisp acidity, sweet fruit, and bright saline minerality.