Exton Park, Reserve Blend, RB 45, Blanc de Blancs, Brut, Hampshire, England
Critics reviews
Full bottle 1,604 g. Winemaker Corinne Seely's blend of no less than 45 reserve wines from their Hampshire estate, some of which have been oak-aged. 100% Chardonnay.
A stunningly slender, carved-back-to-the-bone wine which tastes of salty sea winds and stone cliffs, lemon shards and bleached shells. It's so focused that it feels like a rapier through the spine when I taste it. Humming with tiny electric vibrations, the minute bubbles give the wine a kind of tightly controlled current in the mouth – nothing about this highly disciplined wine is explosive. But it does taste like English sparkling Chardonnay in high-res, microscopic pixelation.
This is the wine if you're celebrating with naked oysters (squeeze of lemon) or simple smoked salmon (nothing but a squeeze of lemon).
Drink 2022 - 2030
Tamlyn Currin, JancisRobinson.com (May 2023)
Made using only reserve wines from the past ten years, the RB45 Blanc de Blanc from Exton Park sourced its fruits from the producer's chalky single vineyard in the Meon Valley, Hampshire. 25% of the wines in the RB45 were aged in used oak barrels from Bordeaux and Burgundy, and 30% underwent malolactic fermentation.
Richly yeasty on the nose, with biscuits, orange blossom, creamy Nashi pears and a touch of acacia honey. Saline and dry (9g/l residual sugar) on the palate, with a complex symphony of flavours, including lemon curd, brioche, wheat crackers and plenty of yuzu fruits. Cleansing minerals and honeydew melon sing throughout the finish.
Drink 2021 - 2031
Sylvia Wu, Decanter.com (September 2021)
About this WINE
Exton Park
Exton Park is situated in England’s picturesque Hampshire countryside on the South Downs. The vineyard covers approximately 55 acres of gently sloping land and is known for producing high-quality sparkling wines using traditional Champagne methods.
Exton Park focuses primarily on three classic grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. These grapes are carefully hand-harvested and meticulously processed to create exceptional sparkling wines. The region’s cool climate and chalky soils contribute to the wines’ elegant acidity, fine bubbles, and distinct character.
The vineyard’s commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship is notable. Exton Park employs environmentally friendly practices, including minimal intervention in the vineyard, organic treatments, and the use of natural predators to control pests. This approach helps maintain the biodiversity of the surrounding area and ensures the vineyard’s long-term health.
Exton Park produces a range of sparkling wines, including their flagship, Exton Park Brut Reserve. Other cuvées, such as Blanc de Noirs and Rosé, offer different expressions of the estate’s terroir and grape varieties.
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county in South East England that has become celebrated for its production of English wine, and English sparkling wine in particular.
Leading producers here include Hambledon Vineyard, Exton Park Vineyard and Hattingley Valley. It is also home to Bride Valley Vineyard, founded by the late wine writer Steven Spurrier and his wife, Bella.
Hampshire has long been an important place for Berry Bros. & Rudd: we have offices and warehouses in Basingstoke and Andover.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is often seen as the king of white wine grapes and one of the most widely planted in the world It is suited to a wide variety of soils, though it excels in soils with a high limestone content as found in Champagne, Chablis, and the Côte D`Or.
Burgundy is Chardonnay's spiritual home and the best White Burgundies are dry, rich, honeyed wines with marvellous poise, elegance and balance. They are unquestionably the finest dry white wines in the world. Chardonnay plays a crucial role in the Champagne blend, providing structure and finesse, and is the sole grape in Blanc de Blancs.
It is quantitatively important in California and Australia, is widely planted in Chile and South Africa, and is the second most widely planted grape in New Zealand. In warm climates Chardonnay has a tendency to develop very high sugar levels during the final stages of ripening and this can occur at the expense of acidity. Late picking is a common problem and can result in blowsy and flabby wines that lack structure and definition.
Recently in the New World, we have seen a move towards more elegant, better- balanced and less oak-driven Chardonnays, and this is to be welcomed.
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Description
The grapes are grown on Exton Park’s single 60-hectare vineyard on the rolling chalk hills of the Hampshire Downs. Made from 100% Chardonnay, this is unlike any other Blanc de Blancs made in the UK: it is a true multi-vintage blend, reminiscent of some of the finest Champagnes.
The RB45 is a careful cuvée of 45 different reserve wines, all vinified separately. When brought together, they create a very complex, deep expression of this Hampshire estate. The palate is structured, with notes of roast pear crumble, crunchy apple and snappy chalk vibrancy. The finish is rich, like molten patisserie.
Davy Żyw, Senior Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd (June 2023)
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