Margaret's Hope Tea Estate

Margaret's Hope is one of the most respected first-flush producers in Darjeeling, named - according to estate lore - for the daughter of a former owner who died young after falling in love with the garden. Sitting on a long, gently sloping ridge near Kurseong, the estate consistently produces some of the brightest, most floral first flushes of the season, with a clean greenish character that has made it a perennial favourite of European buyers.

The garden was established in the mid-1800s and has changed hands several times; it is currently part of the Goodricke Group's Darjeeling portfolio. Its long ridge gives the estate sections facing several directions, which helps stagger the plucking schedule and gives the factory more material to choose from when assembling the early-spring 'first flush' lots that have become its calling card.

First flush at Margaret's Hope tends toward a lighter, more aromatic style than the deeper muscatel-driven second flushes of neighbouring estates. The cup is typically pale, with notes of white flower, green almond and a hint of citrus pith. Processing emphasises gentle, slow withering and very light oxidation - closer in spirit to a Chinese green-leaning oolong than to a traditional black tea, which is in fact characteristic of modern Darjeeling first flush across the region.

The estate is also notable for early experimentation with clonal cultivars planted alongside the original China-variety bushes, and several of its 'clonal' first flush lots are sold under specific DJ numbers tracked by serious buyers.

Signature teas

• Margaret's Hope First Flush Clonal
• Margaret's Hope Moonlight
• Second Flush FTGFOP1

Certifications

Darjeeling GI

Visiting

The estate is visible from the Kurseong area; tours are not generally open to the public.