Plumpton Estate Blanc de Blancs 2018 Magnum

The outstanding 2018 Vintage deserves to be celebrated. We laid down a limited number of Magnums for 76 months of lees ageing, and the result is full flavours of freshly baked apple, preserved lemon, and a creamy toasted brioche finish. Its delicate bubbles and refined taste showcase the very best of English sparkling wine. 

2018 was the ripest and highest yield harvest ever experienced in the UK to that date. The Chardonnay was harvested at the optimal level of ripeness for sparkling wine with 10.6% natural potential alcohol and a great level of acidity for a sparkling wine. The wine was bottled unfiltered to help retain its’ structure and mouthfeel.  We decided to bottle this very special vintage in magnums as it had a good structure and mouthfeel for long lees ageing in the bottle. Wines aged in magnums develop more slowly than in smaller bottles and the high surface area to volume ratio of the wine with the lees allows optimal transfer of autolysis characteristics in an environment with lower impact from oxygen than smaller format bottles.  Wines in magnums tend to compare favourably with wines in smaller bottles and this gold medal winning wine is a good example of the high quality that can be achieved with long lees ageing in magnums. It won a gold medal in CSWWC 2025 and was selected for the Vineyard and Winery Show Golden 50 wines 2025.