Exton Park Vineyard: A Hampshire Trailblazer for English Sparkling Wine
Set in the rolling chalk downland of Hampshire, Exton Park Vineyard has, in little over a decade and a half, become one of the most talked-about names in English sparkling wine. From a 60-acre single estate that overlooks the South Downs, the team crafts traditional-method fizz that has earned its place on the lists of Michelin-starred chefs and in the cellars of the country's most prestigious wine merchants. Whether you are planning a visit, hunting for a memorable bottle, or simply curious about the direction of English wine, Exton Park offers a complete estate experience.
Location, terroir and the heart of the estate
Exton Park Vineyard sits in the village of Exton, just outside Southampton in Hampshire, deep within the South Downs National Park. The address is Allens Farm Lane, Exton, Southampton, Hampshire, SO32 3NW, and the chalk soils that mark this corner of England are the single most important ingredient in the wines.
The chalk naturally encourages high concentration in the fruit and produces wines that boast freshness and acidity. For Exton Park this is not something to be suppressed but rather celebrated; the team describe it as an intrinsic part of English sparkling wine's true character. Cool sea breezes drift inland from the Solent, just ten miles or so away, slowing the ripening curve and lending the wines a distinctive saline edge.
The estate is divided into nine plots, each with its own altitude, aspect, soil depth and microclimate. From the wind-sheltered Battle Field and Chestnut Henge at the bottom of the vineyard to the cooler, exposed High Field, the team manages every block individually. The chalky terroir is rarely bettered in the UK, and Fred Langdale, the Vineyard Director, has planted Pinot Meunier on some of the very best plots available.
The story of Exton Park
The story begins in 2009 with the late Malcolm Isaac MBE, a serial entrepreneur who turned his attention to winemaking after a Nuffield Farming Scholarship and a hugely successful career pioneering the UK salad industry with Vitacress. Malcolm bought the Exton Park vineyard as a retirement passion project, and his patience and determination to succeed have made him one of the great trailblazers of English sparkling wine. He passed away in October 2024 at the age of 95, leaving behind the structures and team to carry his vision forward.
Under Malcolm's stewardship, Exton Park set its stall out very clearly: craft premium English sparkling wine using the traditional method, in a style that reflects the unique Hampshire chalk. The winery is now run by CEO Robin McMillan, who joined in July 2022 from senior roles at Decanter, The Wine Society and Berry Bros & Rudd. Head Winemaker Corinne Seely leads the cellar, bringing Bordeaux and global experience to bear on the English climate, and she is supported by Vineyard Director Fred Langdale, who has trained at Plumpton College and worked in New Zealand, South Africa and at Nyetimber before joining Exton Park in 2008.
The wines: a two-tier portfolio of Reserve Blends and Limited Releases
Reserve Blends - the signature collection
Every Reserve Blend at Exton Park is curated from a library of reserve wines dating back to 2011, guaranteeing consistency and quality regardless of the weather of any single harvest. This is why Exton Park's wines are favoured by Michelin-starred chefs such as Adam Handling and are hand-sold by the UK's most prestigious wine shops.
- RB|32 Brut - £39.00. The signature blend of an average of 32 reserve wines, marrying 60% Pinot Noir with 40% Chardonnay. Notes of brioche, baked apple and passion fruit with a mineral backbone and a whisper of white pepper. Buy the RB|32 Brut.
- RB|23 Rosé - £39.00. A 70/30 blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, pressed slowly and gently to draw out the colour. English rose in the glass, with strawberry liquorice, white peach and rose petal on the palate. Buy the RB|23 Rosé.
- RB|28 Blanc De Noirs - £43.00. 100% Pinot Noir from an average of 28 reserve wines. Pale gold, with brioche and lime tree blossom, finishing with delicately spiced fruit. Buy the RB|28 Blanc De Noirs.
- RB|45 Blanc De Blancs - £49.00. The most complex of the Reserve Blends, made from an average of 45 reserve wines of 100% Chardonnay. A flinty smokiness leads to a rounded, savoury finish. Buy the RB|45 Blanc De Blancs.
- Reserve Blend Demi Sec - £40.00. The sweeter sister to the Brut, with lychee, mango and orange blossom aromatics and a pear-and-honey finish. Buy the Reserve Blend Demi Sec.
Limited Releases - wines that satisfy the imagination
Vintage wines are only made in years that the team believes the fruit is exceptional. The Limited Release range is where Exton Park pushes convention, from the longest lees-aged wines in the country to the UK's first sea-aged sparkling.
- Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2013 - £65.00. Made from 100% estate-grown Chardonnay, with 11 years on lees, this is the longest-aged English wine of its kind from the 2013 vintage. Honeycomb, marzipan, brioche and a distinctive saline edge. Buy the Blanc de Blancs 2013.
- Blanc de Noirs Vintage 2014 - £65.00. 100% Pinot Noir from the estate's south-eastern slopes, with seven years on lees. Pale lemon, orchard fruits, marzipan and hazelnut. Buy the Blanc de Noirs 2014.
- Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2014 (Magnum) - £130.00. A 100% Chardonnay WineGB Gold Medal winner from the first 20 rows of the estate's 20-year-old vines. 94 points from Decanter, 17/20 from jancisrobinson.com. Buy the Blanc de Blancs 2014 Magnum.
- Pinot Meunier Rosé Plot 4 - £65.00. A 25-year labour of love from Head Winemaker Corinne Seely. 100% Pinot Meunier, picked from the meticulously trained fourth plot, with cut flowers, white peach and tangerine. Buy the Pinot Meunier Rosé.
- Cuvée M. Isaac Blanc de Blancs Vintage 2015 'BBB' - £130.00. The second in the prestigious Cuvée M. Isaac line, dedicated to the founder. Barrel-aged before bottling for three years and aged on lees for five more. Sherbet lemon in colour, with rich toastiness, crème pâtissière, vanilla and praline. Awarded 91 points by Decanter in June 2025. Buy the Cuvée M. Isaac 2015.
- 60 Above & 60 Below Prestige Pack - Blanc de Noirs 2014 - £225.00. The second wine in the cellar-aged versus sea-aged experiment. One bottle aged 60 metres above sea level in the Exton Park cellar; the other aged 60 metres beneath the sea off the coast of Brittany. Comes with a downloadable tasting pack. Buy the 60 Above & 60 Below Prestige Pack.
The Sea-Aged Wine Experiment
Exton Park was the first winery in the UK to experiment with sea-aged wine. The story begins in 2010 with the discovery of an 1840 shipwreck in the Baltic Sea, where perfectly preserved Champagne was reclaimed. Inspired by the constant movement of the water on bottles still on lees, Exton Park worked with underwater cellar specialists to age its Blanc de Noirs 2014 for 12 months, 60 metres below the surface off Brittany. The 60 Above & 60 Below Prestige Pack lets wine lovers taste the cellar-aged and sea-aged versions side by side.
Discovery packs and gift sets
For those new to the range, the Discovery Pack at £121.00 brings together a full bottle each of the RB|32 Brut, RB|23 Rosé and RB|28 Blanc de Noirs. The Reserve Blend Half Bottle Gift Set at £79.00 contains half bottles of all four Reserve Blends in a stylish gift box. The Vintage Blanc de Noirs Gift Set and Pinot Meunier Rosé Gift Set each at £95.00 pair a bottle with two branded Exton Park flutes. Hand-crafted wooden gift boxes are available separately from £4.00, and a copper-plated steel wine stopper is £9.00.
Tours and tastings at Exton Park
A visit to Exton Park is more than a tasting; it is a structured walk through the vineyard, the winery and the elegant Exton Hall. Three formats are available.
- Friday Tour & Tasting - £50.00 per person. 11am - 12.30pm, 1 March to 31 October. Group size maximum 12. Book the Friday Tour.
- Selected Saturdays Tour & Tasting - £50.00 per person. 2pm - 3.30pm on 16 May, 13 June, 11 July and 15 August 2026. Group size maximum 16. Book the Saturday Tour.
- Tour & Tasting with Lunch - £75.00 per person. New for 2026, Saturdays 10.30am - 1pm on 16 May, 13 June, 11 July and 15 August 2026. A 1.5-hour tour followed by a buffet-style seasonal lunch on the terrace or in the Dining Room. Book the Tour & Tasting with Lunch.
- Tour & Tasting for Two Gift Card - £100.00. A downloadable voucher valid for 12 months. Buy the Tour Gift Card.
Every tour begins with a guided walk through the sustainable vineyard to learn how fruit is grown and nurtured, continues with a behind-the-scenes look at the winery, and finishes in Exton Hall with a tasting of three wines while taking in views across the South Downs. Sample estate and drinks menus can be downloaded in advance. Bookings are non-refundable and non-transferable within 24/72 hours of the scheduled tour, and the experience is strictly over-18s.
Exton Hall: five-star event space in the South Downs
Exton Hall is described as 'Hampshire's best-kept secret', combining city sophistication with magnificent views. The Hall offers five premium, multi-functional indoor spaces for corporate away days, board meetings, presentations and private dining.
- The Boardroom - a 12-seat oculus table with audiovisual facility and a sparkling wine bar.
- The Dining Room - seating for 22 at the long table, or up to 8 at the chef's table.
- The Club Room - a contemporary fire and lounge seating, convertible for AV.
- The Tasting Room - on the lower ground floor with cathedral-like vaulted ceilings and a sunny terrace.
- The Great Hall and The Mezzanine - perfect for drinks receptions and pre-dinner sparkling wine.
Two sun terraces and three indoor dining spaces guarantee breath-taking views for drinks and canapés, lunches and dinners. Exclusive use of the entire hall is available for clients who want full privacy.
Sustainability and natural biodiversity
Exton Park places soil at the very heart of its ethos. The estate is a founding member of WineGB's Sustainable Wines of Great Britain accreditation and takes the most natural approach possible to growing, managing and harvesting its fruit. A significant proportion of the estate's energy is offset through solar power, and the team has worked hard to develop biodiversity: birds, bees, sheep and wildflowers all play their part in fertilising, controlling pests and enhancing the natural ecosystem. Visitor numbers are deliberately restricted to preserve the South Downs landscape for the future.
The Vault Wine Club
The Vault is Exton Park's loyalty programme, designed to feel effortless and generous. Spend £500 or more on wine within a calendar year and you automatically qualify for membership for the remainder of that year and the whole of the next. There is no upfront fee and nothing to sign up for.
Vault membership benefits include:
- 20% off any purchase (excluding gift cards and ticketed events).
- A complimentary Tour & Tasting for two, worth £100.
- Free personal cellar storage (a minimum of four cases).
- A minimum of two exclusive member events per year at Exton Hall.
- Priority access to new and limited release wines.
How to buy and how to visit
The full collection is available from the Exton Park shop. Free UK mainland delivery is offered on orders of £50 or more; smaller orders incur a £9 charge. A next-working-day service is available for orders placed by midday, Monday to Friday. A 20% saving on six bottles or more is available in summer with the code AUGUST20.
For visitor enquiries, the team can be reached on 01489 878 788 or at enquiries@extonparkvineyard.com. The full address is Exton Park Vineyard, Allens Farm Lane, Exton, Southampton, Hampshire, SO32 3NW. The winery shares updates on seasons, releases, restaurant dinners and walk-ins on Instagram, Facebook, X.com and LinkedIn.
Final pour
Exton Park is a rare example of a vineyard that controls every stage of its production, from vine to bottle, on a single estate in one of the most exciting wine regions in the world. With a Reserve Blend portfolio that competes confidently with the best of Champagne, a Limited Release range that is rewriting the rulebook, and a tasting room and event hall that make the most of the South Downs views, Hampshire's flagship sparkling wine producer is well worth the detour.