Exton Park RB|32 Brut

Exton Park RB|32 Brut is the signature sparkling wine of this Hampshire estate, combining the richness of Pinot Noir with the precision of Chardonnay and the complexity of an unusually deep reserve-wine library. The blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay, assembled from an average of 32 individually selected reserve wines, including some of the oldest wines held at Exton Park. Pale gold in colour, it opens with bright lemon and ripe yellow apple, followed by passion fruit, honey, brioche and baked apple, while a distinctive chalky minerality runs through the palate. Three years or more on the lees adds creaminess and savoury depth, but the naturally high acidity of the South Downs keeps the wine wonderfully energetic. A subtle touch of white pepper appears on the long finish, giving the wine an extra savoury dimension. This is a particularly good example of Exton Park’s philosophy: rather than relying on one dominant vintage, head winemaker Corinne Seely uses reserve wines from different years and different sections of the vineyard to build depth and consistency. The result is precise, rounded and complex enough for the dinner table, while still delivering the freshness you want from English sparkling wine.

Exton Park RB|32 Brut, Producer

Exton Park is a single-vineyard sparkling wine estate in Hampshire’s South Downs National Park. The first vines were planted in 2003, and the modern estate was established in 2009 by the late Malcolm Isaac MBE, a Hampshire farmer and entrepreneur who recognised the potential of the chalk hillside he had farmed for decades. His ambition was unusually bold for the time: not simply to make English sparkling wine, but to create something capable of standing alongside the best traditional-method sparkling wines in the world. Corinne Seely joined as head winemaker in 2011, bringing experience from regions including Bordeaux, where she worked at Domaine de Chevalier and Château Lynch-Bages. One of her most important decisions was to start building a substantial library of reserve wines from Exton Park’s individual vineyard plots. That reserve library now dates back to 2011 and forms the foundation of the estate’s signature RB range.

Everything used for Exton Park wine is grown on the estate’s own 60-acre vineyard, and the wines are pressed, blended and aged on site. The vineyard is divided into different plots according to aspect and elevation, allowing each component to be vinified and evaluated separately. Exton Park openly acknowledges the influence of Champagne – from traditional-method production to the varieties and equipment used – but sees its own identity as distinctly English. The chalk and cool climate naturally deliver high acidity and freshness, qualities the team deliberately celebrates rather than trying to soften. RB|32 sits at the centre of the range and is described by the estate as its signature Brut and a pure expression of the Exton Park house style.

Exton Park RB|32 Brut, Terroir & Winemaking

The grapes come entirely from Exton Park’s single vineyard in the South Downs, where thin, chalk-rich soils provide excellent drainage and naturally restrict the vines. Hampshire’s cool growing season allows Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to ripen slowly while retaining the high natural acidity required for serious sparkling wine. This combination of chalk, altitude, exposure and cool climate is central to the character of RB|32: the wine has enough fruit and lees-derived richness to feel generous, but underneath there is always a firm lemony, mineral backbone. Corinne Seely describes the Brut as structured, precise and rounded, with reserve wines providing much of that depth.

The current blend is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay and harmonises an average of 32 separately selected reserve wines, hence the name RB|32. It contains some of Exton Park’s oldest reserve material and receives a minimum of three years on its lees after secondary fermentation in bottle. That extended contact with spent yeast cells develops the brioche, baked-apple and creamy characteristics that sit behind the fresh fruit. The estate’s current specification gives residual sugar at 7g/L, although a recent UK importer technical sheet lists 8.5g/L, suggesting the exact dosage may vary slightly between bottling lots; for website copy I would use the producer’s current figure of 7g/L. The result remains firmly in a dry Brut style, with dosage used to balance the wine’s naturally high acidity rather than create obvious sweetness.

Exton Park RB|32 Brut, Tasting Notes

Pale gold with a persistent stream of fine bubbles. The nose begins with fresh lemon zest and ripe yellow apple before opening towards passion fruit and honey, with brioche, baked apple and subtle biscuit-like notes emerging as the wine warms. There is also a floral freshness underneath the fruit, while extended lees ageing contributes a gentle creamy character without making the wine feel heavy.

The palate is crisp and energetic at first, with lemon and orchard fruit framed by a distinct chalky minerality. Pinot Noir gives weight and structure, while Chardonnay brings freshness and length. The mousse is fine and creamy, with savoury brioche and baked-apple flavours gradually becoming more noticeable through the middle of the palate. The finish is long, dry and mineral, with citrus returning alongside a distinctive whisper of white pepper. Falstaff awarded the wine 93 points, particularly praising its chalk-driven freshness, lemon character and subtle autolytic texture.

Exton Park RB|32 Brut, Food pairing suggestion: Smoked Trout Fishcakes with Lemon, Chive Crème Fraîche and Watercress.