Langham Wine Estate announces new release of Blanc de Blancs
17th September 2024
Langham Wine Estate has launched its new release of Blanc de Blancs NV, produced entirely from Chardonnay grown on the chalk soils of its rural Dorset vineyard.
The owners said that compared to Langham’s Corallian, its Chardonnay-dominant blend, the base wines for the Blanc de Blancs come from a higher proportion of oak, and the wine spends longer on the lees during secondary fermentation.
Head winemaker of Langham Wine Estate, Tommy Grimshaw, explained: “The Blanc de Blancs is always the wine with the broadest shoulders in our range. This wine showcases our oxidative approach and desire to produce complex, layered sparkling wines.
“To achieve this, we select specific parcels of the best Chardonnay from the previous vintage and blend it with a small amount of reserve wine to elevate the palate. This wine is something that we are always proud to release.”
Bright and energetic palate
Langham’s Blanc de Blancs NV is produced from 90% 2020 vintage and 10% reserve wines.
The fruit is pressed oxidatively in a three tonne pneumatic press, then the juice left to settle overnight, the first of many characteristic steps in the winery’s low-intervention method, the winemaker said.
The juice is then racked into a combination of stainless steel and old, predominantly French oak (minimum three years old, ex Champagne, Burgundy, Bordeaux).
Alcoholic fermentation occurs spontaneously, followed by full malolactic fermentation and prolonged ageing with regular bâtonnage.
The winery confirmed that, as with all Langham’s wines, the new release of Blanc de Blancs is unfined and unfiltered, and is suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Less sugar is added at tirage, leading to a lower bottle pressure of around 4.5 bar. The winery’s approach prioritises blending from an array of complex base wines, which are complemented, not dominated by autolysis from around three years of lees ageing in the bottle after second fermentation.
The winemaker said that this sparkling wine is smoky and complex on the nose, with aromas of dried orange peel, liquorice root and poached pear.
The palate is bright and energetic with fragrant, pomelo-esque acidity and finishes with a satisfying ripe peach character, reflecting the warmth of the 2020 vintage.
The team at Langham Wine Estate enjoys pairing Blanc de Blancs with fresh shellfish, especially the excellent oysters and crab from the Dorset coast, as well as luxurious British fish such as Turbot in rich sauces.
Priced at £43.95, this wine is available to buy from the winery’s website.
New partnership
Langham Wine Estate has recently announced a new partnership with multi-award-winning wine distributor, Liberty Wines, who boast one of the most impressive portfolios of producers in the country. Langham’s wines are now exclusively available to Liberty Wines’ portfolio of leading restaurants, hotels, bars, caterers and retail outlets in the UK and Ireland.
The vineyard and winery have had a successful year, having received several prestigious awards. At the 2024 WineGB Awards, Langham’s Corallian Classic Cuvée won the ‘Best NV/MV Classic Cuvée’ trophy, while its Pinot Noir 2019 received both the ‘Best Blanc de Noirs’ and the ‘Wessex Trophy’.
The winery was also named ‘Best Estate Winery of the Year’ for its exceptional range. In addition, both the Corallian Classic Cuvée NV and Pinot Noir 2019, along with the Culver Classic Cuvée NV, Blanc de Blancs NV and Rosé NV were awarded gold medals.
The Corallian Classic Cuvée NV and Blanc de Blancs NV further secured gold medals at the 2024 Sommelier Wine Awards.
The company specialises in making low-intervention, traditional method sparkling wines from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes grown on 30 hectares north-east of Dorchester in rural Dorset.
The vineyard is planted on a south-southwest slope at 80-110m above sea level on flinty clay topsoil over deep, porous Cretaceous chalk, with the first block planted in 2009.
Viticulture is science-based and data-led, seeking to minimise chemical input wherever possible.
Read more vine news.
