NV Blanc de Blancs, Langham Wine Estate

• Style: Taut, mineral English sparkling
• Taste: Gooseberry skin, oyster shell, chalky persistence, dry
• Food: Shellfish, creamy cheese, white fish, salads
• Occasion: Aperitif, celebration, gifting, date night
• Serve: Chilled; 12% ABV, 4.5 bar pressure

In the Glass — Tasting Notes

A tense, minerally Chardonnay that refuses convention. Expect gooseberry skin, waxy grapefruit peel, balsam, and a savoury undercurrent of oyster shell and toasted seed. The acidity sings at 7.7g/L with generous yet chalky length. At 12% ABV and just 4.5 bar pressure, it sits lighter and finer than many rivals—pure, vinous, and bone dry.

The Winery — Langham Wine Estate

Tommy Grimshaw, Langham's head winemaker, is building a reputation as one of England's sharpest talents. Jancis Robinson has bracketed his style with Anselme Selosse's perfectionism, and the IWSC named Langham Sparkling Wine Producer of the Year in 2020. The Blanc de Blancs comes from Crawthorne Farm near the Dorset coast, where pure Chardonnay grows on south-facing clay and flint slopes. The wine spends three years on lees in a mix of stainless steel and old French oak, fermented wild with indigenous yeast and left unfined and unfiltered. His low-intervention cellar work—full malolactic conversion, extended ageing with regular stirring—builds depth without showboating. The vineyard itself is managed with the same restraint: meticulous canopy work to reduce disease naturally, minimal chemical input. The result tastes like the place and the philosophy, not a formula.

At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving

Drink this with raw oysters, scallops, or soft, buttery cheeses—anywhere you'd reach for a fine Chablis. It pairs beautifully with white fish, salads, and hard aged cheese. It's also a quietly brilliant aperitif for those who find typical sparkling wine too broad. Vegetarian and vegan-friendly. If this Blanc de Blancs appeals to you, explore our Chardonnay range, our selection of bottles from England, and our wider Sparkling Wine collection—we've curated some genuinely distinctive bottles across all three.