Great Loxhill Vineyard: Organic English Wines from the Jurassic Clay of Lympstone, Devon
Nestled on the eastern bank of the Exe estuary in the seaside village of Lympstone, Devon, Great Loxhill Vineyard is a small, hands-on English winery producing organically grown, low-intervention wines from two of the most interesting cool-climate grape varieties available to British growers: Solaris and Phoenix. The vineyard's tagline - "Enjoy Lympstone Wine from Great Loxhill Vineyard" - hints at the sense of place that runs through every bottle, and a recent milestone now sees the estate officially certified organic by the Soil Association.
Where to find Great Loxhill Vineyard
Great Loxhill sits on Courtlands Lane, a quiet lane just outside the village of Lympstone in East Devon, with the postcode EX8 5AB. The vineyard enjoys the mild, maritime climate that has made the south-west one of the most exciting regions for English still and sparkling wine in recent years - sheltered by the rolling hills of the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, warmed by the Gulf Stream, and cooled by sea breezes coming up the estuary.
It is the kind of location where geology and weather conspire to give grapevines exactly what they want. Beneath the vines lies a Jurassic clay subsoil, and the vineyard's owners believe it is this ancient mineral foundation, combined with very little human intervention, that shapes the distinctive flavour and structure of the wines.
Opening hours and how to visit
Great Loxhill does not run fixed weekend opening hours in the same way a larger cellar door might. Visits are by appointment only, as follows:
- Monday - Friday: Open by arrangement - call to arrange a visit.
- Saturday: Open by arrangement - call to arrange a visit.
- Sunday: Closed.
To book, call 07935 594030 or email Office@LympstoneWine.co.uk in advance.
The story so far: a three-year journey to organic certification
After three years of careful vineyard work, regular inspections and audits, Great Loxhill Vineyard has been certified organic by the Soil Association. The owners describe themselves as "absolutely thrilled" to have reached this milestone.
"For the last three years we have been hoeing, and weeding, and being very careful what we spray onto our vines. Also we are regularly inspected and have audits to ensure we meet strict criteria. Finally we have made it! The Soil Association have approved us as organic."
The low-input ethos has real consequences for the wines. The team does not use sulphur on the grapes, which they describe as giving the wine a "pure and distinctive flavour." This is a significant statement for a small winery, because sulphur is the standard tool used across most of the global wine industry to protect wines from oxidation and spoilage. Skipping it requires meticulous vineyard hygiene and fastidious winery practice - but the rewards, when it works, are wines with a clarity of fruit that is hard to match.
"We feel that the light input that we have in the vineyard enriches the flavour of our grapes, and so when you drink our wine you will know that you are drinking a more pure and more natural product."
The terroir: Jurassic clay, sea air and minimal intervention
The vineyard's own description of its growing philosophy reads:
"The grapes used to make our wine are grown organically with very little intervention, allowing the vines to naturally draw up from the Jurassic clay subsoil, shaping the full and dynamic flavour of the wine."
That word "dynamic" comes up a lot in tasting notes for Lympstone-area wines, and it is a fair description of what Devon-grown Solaris and Phoenix can offer: vibrant, aromatic whites with bright acidity and a savoury, mineral edge that comes from clay-based soils. The estuary-side location brings additional salinity and freshness to the fruit - a characteristic that the team clearly leans into with their flagship Coastal Rosé.
The wines
The current range from Great Loxhill Vineyard covers three wines - a still rosé and two still whites made from the two grape varieties the estate is best known for. All three are available to purchase directly from the online shop.
Coastal Rosé - £28.00
Tagged by the winery as "Great for summer parties", the Coastal Rosé is a pale, presumably Solaris-led or Solaris-blended rosé that draws its character from the Lympstone estuary. At £28.00 per bottle, it sits at the premium end of English still rosé and is positioned as the wine for outdoor entertaining - picnics, barbecues and, of course, long afternoons by the Exe.
2023 Solaris - £10.00 (sale, was £15.00)
Solaris is one of the most successful PIWI (fungal-resistant) grape varieties to come out of German and Swiss breeding programmes, prized in the UK for its ability to ripen reliably even in cooler summers. The 2023 Solaris from Great Loxhill is described by the winery in vivid terms:
"A premium organic grape variety grown right here in Devon. These grapes are sustainably cultivated using organic farming practices, resulting in a product that is not only delicious but also environmentally friendly. With a beautiful golden hue and a sweet, refreshing taste, these Solaris grapes are the perfect addition to any fruit platter or wine pairing."
The 2023 Solaris is on sale at £10.00, reduced from £15.00, as part of the winery's "£5 off 2023 Solaris & Phoenix 2023" bundle offer.
Phoenix 2023 - £10.00 (sale, was £15.00)
Alongside Solaris, Phoenix is the second pillar variety at Great Loxhill - another PIWI hybrid that has found a natural home in British vineyards. The Phoenix 2023 is described as:
"A premium English white wine made from organically grown grapes in the beautiful region of Devon. This exquisite wine boasts a crisp and refreshing taste, with notes of citrus and green apple, making it the perfect accompaniment to any occasion."
The Phoenix is also part of the £5-off bundle, available at £10.00 instead of £15.00.
Harvest: getting hands-on with the Phoenix grapes
Among the most enjoyable moments captured at the vineyard is a recent harvest day, when family, friends and regular pickers gathered among the rows to bring in the Phoenix grapes in late summer. For anyone visiting Devon during harvest, the vineyard's social media is the best way to find out if the next harvest day is open to guests.
Lympstone Furry Dance: pouring Solaris down at the harbour
Lympstone's famous summer festival, held in early August, gave the team an excuse to take a few bottles of fresh 2023 Solaris down to the harbour for an impromptu pop-up:
"Come and join us at the Imgham Fisheries oyster bar for local wine (our lovely fresh Solaris) and fresh oysters. We'll be open from 4pm on Saturday 5th August down near the slipway, Lympstone harbour."
It is a very Lympstone combination: fresh Solaris + Exe estuary oysters + a salty summer's evening on the slipway.
Staycation on the vineyard
The vineyard has, at times, offered last-minute accommodation on the estate, giving visitors a chance to stay among the organic vines. Interest in vineyard stays has grown sharply in recent years and Great Loxhill is well placed to capitalise on it, sitting as it does between the two extremities of the Exe estuary and within easy reach of the South West Coast Path.
Events
The vineyard has no events scheduled at present, which is normal for a small vineyard that schedules most activity around the seasons (pruning in winter, bud-rubbing in spring, harvest in late summer, and occasional pop-ups at events like the Furry Dance). New tasting evenings, harbour pop-ups and open-vineyard days are typically announced on the vineyard's social channels.
How to buy the wines
The full range is available to buy online direct from the winery through the shop, with prices as follows:
- Coastal Rosé - £28.00 per bottle.
- 2023 Solaris - £15.00 regular, £10.00 sale (£5 off in the Solaris + Phoenix bundle).
- Phoenix 2023 - £15.00 regular, £10.00 sale (£5 off in the Solaris + Phoenix bundle).
Buying direct from a small organic winery like Great Loxhill has two big advantages: you get wine from a single, traceable vintage grown on a named Devon site, and your money goes straight to the people who hoed, weeded and harvested it.
Contact details at a glance
- Venue: Great Loxhill Vineyard, Courtlands Lane, Lympstone, Devon, EX8 5AB.
- Email: Office@LympstoneWine.co.uk.
- Telephone: 07935 594030.
- Opening hours: Monday - Friday, call to arrange a visit; Saturday, call to arrange a visit; Sunday, closed.
- Shop: greatloxhill.co.uk/category/all-products.
- Events: greatloxhill.co.uk/event-list.
- Facebook: facebook.com/greatloxhill.co.uk.
Why Great Loxhill is worth a detour
For a small Lympstone vineyard, Great Loxhill ticks a lot of the boxes that modern English wine drinkers are looking for: a real sense of place on Jurassic clay overlooking the Exe estuary, hand-tended organic vines now certified by the Soil Association, no sulphur added to the grapes, and three wines - Solaris, Phoenix and a Coastal Rosé - that show off exactly what cool-climate Devon can do. The cellar door, like the wines themselves, is small, personal and very much worth the call.