Sparkling Blanc de Blancs
Blanc de Blancs—literally “white from whites”—is a sparkling wine style made exclusively from white grapes, most famously Chardonnay. In Champagne, it represents some of the region’s most elegant and refined expressions, though excellent examples are also crafted in England and across the wine world.
In the glass, Blanc de Blancs is typically pale and fine-bubbled, with aromas of green apple, lemon, pear, and white flowers. With age or extended lees contact, it develops greater depth, showing notes of brioche, hazelnut, and cream, while always retaining its hallmark freshness and precision. Its naturally high acidity makes it one of the longest-lived sparkling styles.
For UK drinkers, Sparkling Blanc de Blancs is perfect for celebrations but also shines at the table. It pairs beautifully with fresh oysters, smoked salmon, seafood platters, sushi, soft cheeses, and delicate poultry dishes. Elegant, crisp, and refined, it’s sparkling wine at its most sophisticated.
Smith and Evans LD 2010 (6 Bottles) Langport, Somerset, England
UK MAINLAND SHIPPING INCLUDED
Our first vintage in 2010 feels like yesterday and like a different world altogether. The nerves and anxiety of years of work and planning all coming down to a single day. Thirty or so virtual strangers turned up to pick coralled by our friend Celia Kozlowski. Little did we know that some of them would still be harvesting with us to this day!
We sold the vast majority of the wine years ago but we kept a few bottles on lees for 13 years. We always keep a some in the cellars for family occasions and have decided to put 50 out into the world for people that are interested in seeeing how this gem has developed. The LD stands for Late Disgorged - doing it this way preserves the freshness of the wine and indeed, these bottles are remarkable. They resemble a blanc de blancs in terms of its taste profile which is fresh and full of minerality with distinctive grapefruit citrus aromas that I can't say that we remember from it's first incarnation. It's a beautiful delicate wine that is testament to the quality of those young vines at Higher Plot.