Jacob Leadley

The Climb

Training at Plumpton College gave Jacob Leadley the base; Hattingley Valley in England gave the working ground. He was Associate Winemaker there from 2011–2015, then winemaker from 2015. The progression is straightforward and useful: study, cellar work, then the decisions that come with making wine at a higher level. In 2018, he moved to Black Chalk in Hampshire as winemaker, director & CEO. That shift brought production, leadership and house identity into the same remit.

Today

At Black Chalk, owner and winemaker are the two sides of the same job title. For Jacob Leadley, that means both making the wine and carrying the long view of the business. English sparkling wine asks for timing, patience and restraint in the cellar, and Black Chalk’s stated aim of focus, purity and precision sits close to that style of work.

Signature

Black Chalk Classic 2015 is among Jacob Leadley’s signature wines. The bottle sits within the same line of work as the rest of his career: Plumpton College, Hattingley Valley and then Black Chalk, with English sparkling wine as the constant thread.

In Their Words “Black Chalk was created from a desire to create something with focus, purity and precision.”

Recognition

The most notable marker here is the path itself: Plumpton College into Hattingley Valley, then into ownership and winemaking at Black Chalk in Andover. Jacob Leadley’s progression from Associate Winemaker from 2011–2015 to winemaker from 2015, and then in 2018 to winemaker, director & CEO at Black Chalk in Hampshire, shows a career built by accumulation of responsibility rather than a single leap.