Jacob Leadley; Zoë Driver

Where They Are Now

At Hattingley Valley (2011–2018), Jacob Leadley worked as winemaker through the repeated discipline that defines the trade: harvest after harvest, cellar work that rewards concentration, and the steady alignment of instinct with method. That experience gave him a practical grounding in the pacing of sparkling wine. Since 2018, he has been Chief Executive officer and winemaker at Black Chalk, where the same measured approach now informs both the estate and the wines. Black Chalk brings leadership and winemaking into the same operation. As Chief Executive officer, Jacob Leadley has oversight of the estate; as winemaker, he remains close to the details that shape style and consistency. The focus on English sparkling wine places freshness, structure, and finesse at the center of the work, with restraint carrying as much importance as ambition. It is a format that asks for patience in the vineyard and clarity in the cellar, and his path reflects both.

Signature

Jacob's signature dishes include Black Chalk Classic, Wild Rosé, Inversion, and Paragon. Black Chalk Classic, Wild Rosé, Inversion, and Paragon point to a winemaking range that is specific without being sprawling. Each name stands apart, but all sit within the same framework of control and detail. In a category where balance is hard won, these signatures function as markers of the estate’s style and of Jacob Leadley’s role in shaping it.

In Their Words “We’ve got full control, which is a stage I didn’t think we’d get to for a much longer period of time.” The line speaks to a position reached through experience rather than speculation: more independence, more direct responsibility, and more ability to steer the work at Black Chalk (since 2018). Coming after the years at Hattingley Valley (2011–2018), it reads as a practical milestone in English sparkling wine, where control over the work changes what can be made and how consistently it can be made.