Danbury Ridge Wine Estate

Danbury Ridge was founded by two generations of the Bunker family: Michael and Heather Bunker and their daughters Janine and Sophie.

For Michael and Heather, there really was no place like home, and having spent several years living in Asia they returned to Essex, settling in the village of Danbury, just a few miles north from where they had grown up.

While walking with friends on the estate it was suggested that some of the agricultural land owned by the Bunker family may prove an ideal location for growing vines. The fields had long been scorned by local farmers for being lean and arid – a good training ground for racehorses over wet winters, but far from ideal for summer cereal crops. Following their passion for growing and talent for identifying opportunities, the family commissioned a detailed feasibility study.

The first vines were planted in 2014 with an unwavering focus on still Pinot Noir and Chardonnay clones to exploit the unique mesoclimate. After just a few seasons the vines were producing grapes of a ripeness previously unseen in the UK.

Inspired by the possibility of what could be achieved with expert advice, capital investment and patience, the family decided to grow their ambition further and commenced construction of one of the most well-equipped wineries in Europe.

While most UK estates look to Reims and Epernay for inspiration, scaling their activities and ambitions to compete with the vast brands of the Marne, the focus at Danbury Ridge is directed toward grower Champagnes and the small domaines of Burgundy.

Now, just a few vintages into the project, and that early aspiration is being realised: Danbury Ridge is bottling wines that critics have already favourably compared to some of the finest addresses in Burgundy, Oregon and New Zealand.

2024 vintage report

2024 felt like a very standard year. There were no highs and no lows – GDD was about average, and so was rainfall. Yield was balanced and bunch and berry sizes helped achieve good ripeness for still Pinot and Chardonnay. Both downy and powdery pressure was high, but controllable and the Pinot was crystal clean. At the start of September there was an expectation of high sugars and an early year (we had Pinot Noir at 68Oe on the 2nd September), however, the weather did turn cool during the tail end of the year, which slowed things down.