Langham Wine Estate Blanc de Blancs NV

Langham’s vineyard is situated at Crawthorne Farm, just under 10 miles from the coast. The site is planted at 80 to 110 metres above sea level and is a sheltered south-facing slope with clay and flint soils over Kimmeridgian and Portlandian limestone. This ensures the vineyard is largely free-draining. These soils also retain heat well, helping moderate vineyard temperatures during England's often unpredictable growing seasons. Meticulous work in the vineyard helps to reduce the need for chemical intervention, as well as improving canopy management to increase airflow and naturally reduce disease pressure.

Winemaker Tommy employs a low-intervention approach in the cellar. The Chardonnay grapes were harvested by hand and carefully sorted in the vineyard and winery. The grapes were pressed in a pneumatic press and the juice was left to settle overnight, before being racked into a combination of stainless steel and old ex-Burgundy, ex-Bordeaux and ex-Champagne barriques. Primary fermentation occurred with indigenous yeasts, followed by full malolactic fermentation and roughly nine months ageing with regular bâtonnage for rich texture and additional complexity. The base wines (90% from the 2020 harvest) were blended without fining or filtration. Secondary fermentation occurred in bottle, followed by a minimum of three years ageing on lees in bottle. It received a low dosage of 1g/l litre.