English estate Balfour Wines forges new partnerships

Balfour Wines, produced at the Hush Heath estate in Kent, has formed a new distribution partnership with Matthew Clark and Bibendum, and has also launched three limited-edition wines in Majestic stores.

Balfour has unveiled three new wines as part of its winemaker collection, which will hit Majestic stores today (14 December). Made by father and son winemaking team Owen and Fergus Elias, the wines include Saignée 2018 (£34.99), named in reference to the production method; Les Sixes 2014 (£55), a sparkler which uses six of the seven permitted varieties used in Champagne including rare UK plantings of Petit Meslier and Arbanne; and The Suitcase 2018 (£34.99), a still Pinot Noir made from Dijon 828 and 777 clones, allegedly smuggled into America in suitcases in the 1960s.

All three wines feature contemporary art on their labels, courtesy of Lothar Götz.

The new trio of wines launching in Majestic stores

Commenting on the launch, chief commercial officer at Majestic, Robert Cooke, said he hoped the launch would “push the boundaries of the categories” and capitalise on sales growth of 150% in the English wine segment achieved by the retailer this year.

Adam Williams, sales director at Balfour Wines, added: “We’re proud of how these wines look and taste – and also what they represent. The English wine scene is becoming more diverse by the day. And we are delighted to be working with Majestic to put these fantastic wines firmly in the spotlight this December.”

Balfour has also signed a new distribution deal with both Matthew Clark and Bibendum this month. From 1 January, Bibendum, Matthew Clark, and Walker & Wodehouse will become the estate’s distributors in both the UK on-trade and off-trade channels.

All three sister businesses will take on Balfour’s still wines and premium sparkling wines, while Matthew Clark will also distribute the Leslie’s range of wines as well as Jakes’ ciders and beers.

In a statement released today, it was also announced that Bibendum Off-Trade will aim to grow the estate’s off-trade sales through listings in Tesco, Waitrose, Morrisons, Marks & Spencer and the Co-op.

Balfour was previously distributed through Bibendum until 2015, when it switched to Liberty Wines.

Jamie Avenell, senior wine buyer at Bibendum, said: “I’ve known the Balfour team and their wines for a long time and have been struck by the growth and development of the business and the quality of the wines over recent years. Their strengths make them a fantastic partner for Bibendum to continue to grow our multi-channel English sparkling and still wine sales, as we continue to put an enormous emphasis on this exciting and growing category.”

Balfour will join Ridgeview, Albourne, Coates & Seely and Litmus, which are sold via Bibendum and Walker & Wodehouse, and Greyfriars, Camel Valley, Chapel Down and Nyetimber, which are listed with Matthew Clark.

Richard Masterson, wine buyer at Matthew Clark, added: “These new wines will complement Matthew Clark’s existing range to showcase the best of modern homegrown wines, a category we predict will thrive next year.”