Exton Park RB|45 Blanc de Blancs

Exton Park RB|45 Blanc de Blancs is a wonderfully distinctive expression of English Chardonnay, bringing together the freshness and chalky precision associated with Hampshire sparkling wine with a surprisingly rich, savoury texture. Made entirely from Chardonnay grown in Exton Park’s own 60-acre vineyard in the South Downs, it is assembled from no fewer than 45 individual reserve wines drawn from different plots and vintages. Tropical fruit and bright citrus lead the nose, with orange blossom and a delicate hint of vanilla underneath, before the palate moves towards one of the wine’s most recognisable characteristics: a smoky, flinty minerality that gives real depth to the fruit. Around 30% of the base wine is barrel-fermented and approximately 30% undergoes malolactic fermentation, adding roundness while retaining the naturally vivid acidity of English Chardonnay. A minimum of three years on the lees develops further creaminess and complexity. The result is much more than a straightforward aperitif fizz: generous enough for the dinner table, yet precise, fresh and unmistakably shaped by the chalk soils and cool climate of the South Downs.

Exton Park RB|45 Blanc de Blancs, Producer

Exton Park is a single-vineyard English sparkling wine producer in Hampshire’s South Downs National Park. Although the first vines on the site were planted in 2003, the modern estate was established in 2009 by the late Malcolm Isaac MBE, a Hampshire farmer and entrepreneur who recognised the potential of the vineyard’s chalk soils and set out to produce world-class English sparkling wine. Head winemaker Corinne Seely joined the project in 2011 after experience that included Château Lynch-Bages and Domaine de Chevalier in Bordeaux, and one of her most important early decisions was to begin building a library of reserve wines. Rather than allowing the character of one unpredictable English growing season to dictate each release, Exton Park vinifies its different vineyard plots separately and stores them as an expanding archive from which future blends can be composed. The Reserve Blend range was launched in 2021 as the culmination of that approach. Everything is estate-grown and made on site, giving the team control from vineyard through pressing, fermentation, blending and ageing. Today the vineyard covers around 60 acres and is divided into nine plots with different aspects and elevations, producing a surprising range of flavours from a single Hampshire hillside.

Exton Park RB|45 Blanc de Blancs, Terroir & Winemaking

The vineyard lies on the chalk slopes of the South Downs, where cool temperatures, free-draining soils and naturally high acidity provide ideal conditions for traditional-method sparkling wine. Exton Park sees chalk as central to its identity: the soil encourages concentration while helping produce wines with the vivid freshness and precision that Corinne Seely regards as an intrinsic part of English sparkling wine rather than something to be softened or disguised. The estate’s nine individual plots sit at different elevations and exposures, and each is harvested and vinified separately, allowing the winemaking team to build an extensive library of individual Chardonnay components over time.

RB|45 takes that philosophy further than any of the other core Reserve Blends. It combines 45 different Chardonnay reserve wines, the highest number used in the current range, creating complexity through blending rather than relying on a single harvest. Around 30% of the base wine is barrel-fermented, providing additional weight and savoury depth, while approximately 30% undergoes malolactic fermentation to soften part of the naturally high acidity without removing the wine’s freshness. After blending and secondary fermentation in bottle, it spends at least three years on its lees. The final residual sugar is around 9g/L, giving enough roundness to support the fruit and texture while leaving the finish fresh and precise.

Exton Park RB|45 Blanc de Blancs, Tasting Notes

Vibrant gold in colour with a fine, energetic mousse. The nose is expressive from the start, with lemon and citrus peel sitting alongside riper tropical fruit, orange blossom and a delicate vanilla note. As the wine opens, those brighter aromas begin to give way to toastier and more savoury characters, particularly a distinctive flinty smokiness that has become something of a signature for RB|45. The palate is richer than you might expect from English Blanc de Blancs, with Chardonnay bringing rounded fruit and a gently creamy texture before the cool-climate acidity tightens everything through the middle. Citrus remains bright, while subtle vanilla, smoke and lees-derived complexity add depth. The finish is long, dry-feeling and savoury, with flint and chalky freshness lingering behind the fruit. There is enough richness to make it feel substantial, but the acidity keeps it precise rather than broad – exactly the balance that makes this such a strong food Champagne-method sparkling wine.

Exton Park RB|45 Blanc de Blancs, Food pairing suggestion: Grilled Sea Bass with Thai Green Curry Sauce, Pak Choi and Jasmine Rice.