The RB45

We are delighted to introduce the fourth sparkling wine in our Reserve Blend range. The RB45 Blanc de Blancs is our first wine to be made from 100% reserve wines and 100% Chardonnay. It’s the  culmination of years’ of development by our winemaker Corinne, who was determined to find the best way to express English Chardonnay from our chalky soil.  

Since 2011, Corinne has adapted how she manages the Chardonnay each year depending on the characteristic of each vintage – patiently composing her archive of reserves and adding these Chardonnay wines to her 10-year library.  

“The RB45 is a symphony of these many vintages and distinctive plots from the vineyard, culminating in an orchestral masterpiece with layer upon layer of complexity,”

claims Corinne.   

“Over the past 10 years, I have tried different ways of expressing the Chardonnay from each harvest, sometimes with oak and sometimes with MLF. The RB45 is my perfect melody, comprising each individual reserve to create the finest expression of the grapes and the terroir.” 

25% of the wines in the RB45 were aged in second–hand oak barrels from Bordeaux and Burgundy, and 30% underwent malolactic fermentation.  Corinne adds,

“I have always been intrigued by the character of Chardonnay in England – it’s different to other places in the world; brighter, longer, straighter, and with lots of personality. For me, this wine is the magnificence of the expression of an English Chardonnay and the chalk of Exton Park.” 

With a minimum of three years spent on the lees and a dosage of 9g/l, the result is a rich, precise wine, vibrant gold in colour with an abundance of tropical and citrus fruit, and subtle notes of vanilla and orange blossom.    

We were very proud to bring a new twist to English winemaking earlier this year with the launch of our Reserve Blend trio produced from the library of reserve wines built up by Corinne over the last decade. The RB45 Blanc de Blancs contains the highest number of reserve wines in the range with an average of 45 in the blend. It completes the Reserve Blend portfolio – joining the RB23 Rosé, the RB28 Blanc de Noirs and the RB32 Brut.