In 2008, two old friends – Nicholas Coates and Christian Seely – embarked on a quest. They had between them successful careers in finance and winemaking, an unshakeable belief, and a burning desire to make, one day, a sparkling wine to rival the best in the world.
Their adventure drew them to the ancient chalk downlands of Hampshire, in Southern England, to a secluded valley nestling quietly in the hills, where the chalk soils and south-facing slopes presented the perfect terroir. They planted vines and began their craft.
They would call their sparkling wine 'Coates and Seely'.
A decade later, their sparkling wines are listed in royal palaces, Michelin-starred restaurants and iconic houses around the world, and have won Gold Medals and Trophies in all of the leading national and international wine competitions.
In 2017 their wines were voted Best Overall Wine, Best Sparkling Wine, Best Blanc de Blancs and Best Sparkling Rosé in the UK Wine Awards. In 2019 their 2009 Blanc de Blancs ‘La Perfide’ won the International IWSC Trophy for Best Bottle Fermented Sparkling Wine. They are still the only English wine to be listed at the George V in Paris.
