Nestled in Hampshire’s Meon Valley at the western end of the South Downs National Park lies the Exton Park single vineyard estate that is the brainchild of Malcolm Isaac MBE. Since its inception in 2008, Malcolm has pulled together some of the best people in the industry to fulfil his dream of creating a unique, multi award-winning English sparkling wine estate.

2021 is a landmark year for this producer as it represents a decade’s worth of reserve wines (back vintages) creating a unique library from which to draw in order to build their complex, multi-vintage sparkling wines. The reasoning for this will become clearer during our interview with Corinne Seely, Exton’s head winemaker who pioneered this process.

The estate has a strong commitment towards sustainability and is a founding member of WineGB’s ‘Sustainable Wines of Great Britain’ accreditation which means that they work consciously to reduce their carbon footprint in both the vineyard and the winery and work as naturally as possible with the environment around them, promoting biodiversity and supporting their local ecosystem.

How and when did your journey in wine begin?

Tractor at Exton Park “I’m French so I grew up in a family who likes to cook, to eat and to drink. My fascination in the terroir, the soils and what can be extracted from them, played an important part as well. So, the combination of these interests naturally drove me to become a winemaker.

After qualifying at the Institut of Oenology of Bordeaux, my winemaking journey started at the renowned Chateau Lynch-Bages before becoming one of the youngest women winemakers at the head of a Grand Cru Classé at Domaine de Chevalier.”

Domaine de Chevalier is ranked not only as one of the best producers in Bordeaux but indeed the world.

“My career as freelance consultant then took me around the world, to Australia, the Languedoc and the Douro, before England in the late noughties. I discovered all these different regions and terroirs, meeting people and sharing experiences…until I met this special place, Exton Park Vineyard.”

What attracted you to England when you could make wine anywhere in the world?

“I always liked a challenge and making premium quality wines in England has been my best challenge ever.

English wine for me is about innovation, creation and freedom. The English wine industry still has less restrictions than some of the world’s more established wine regions so I feel freer here.  I’ve always been passionate about creating a distinctive style and identity for English sparkling wine because the terroir here, and in particular at Exton Park, is so interesting.”

Corinne is clearly passionate when she says, “I would very much like Exton Park to become one of the greatest ambassadors for the wines in England."

Where did the inspiration for the pioneering ‘RB’ (Reserve Blends) come from?

“It is not an understatement to say that the English weather can be completely unpredictable and that you can have four seasons in one day in this country!”

Corinne adds, “For me, it was important to create a style that remains consistent regardless of weather conditions and without having to be reliant on one harvest. So, with a lot of patience, we have been building the library of reserve wines over the past decade with only a small percentage of the last harvest going into the blends. This is quite unique and enables me to have more choices when making the blends, whilst maintaining a reliable style and quality in every bottle of Exton Park wine.”

What makes Exton Park unique in terms of geography and microclimate?

Exton Park Vineyard“We have very chalky soil at Exton Park which creates a very distinctive style of sparkling wine that is fresh and vibrant. It is fascinating to see how the chalk affects different grape varieties in different ways.”

Corinne goes on to explain, “On our 60-acre vineyard we have nine plots with different aspects and altitudes. Each plot produces so many different flavour variations, even within one grape variety. The Pinot Noir at the top of the vineyard often tastes completely different to the Pinot Noir at the bottom. It’s magical to have all of these flavours available when I’m blending the wines. And I am always amazed that one single vineyard can produce such a diversity of wines from the same vines.”

How would you describe your winemaking style at Exton Park?

“The high percentage of reserve wines in our blends gives age, complexity and maturity, but at the same time because of the nature of Exton Park’s terroir, the wines are still fresh and elegant.”

With a state-of-the-art winemaking facility at the top of the vineyard, the grapes have virtually no distance to travel before being gently processed in small batches under Corinne’s watchful eye.

“There are no set recipes for wines in our Reserve Blend range. Each year I meticulously blend and taste until I have an exact match. The asset of having a library of reserve wines means we can guarantee a consistent taste and quality of our Reserve Blends.”

Do you have a stockist/listing that you're most proud of and if so, who?

“I think Exton Park’s longstanding partnership with the four Michelin starred chef Simon Rogan is one I am very proud of. His restaurants have an outstanding reputation and focus on sourcing only the very best ingredients to create top quality food. It's fantastic to have our wines alongside such great cuisine. It also showcases the Reserve Blends’ versatility to pair with a multitude of dishes.”

What’s been the impact of the pandemic on the business whether positive or negative?

“The consequences of the COVID situation regarding the hospitality industry have been very tough and it is good to see it reopening.

However, we have seen a positive impact largely due to the increased demand from customers buying from us directly. Our new Reserve Blend range has been really popular so far and our new branding has gone down very well.” Corinne reflects.

How important is wine tourism to Exton Park and are there plans to develop this further?

“We are not open to the public so we don’t feature on the usual vineyard tour trails. We do plan to open an event space very soon where we will be hosting very exclusive and bespoke events so watch this space.”

Corinne at the winery

Do you follow a low-intervention approach in the vineyard and if so, what techniques do you administer?

“The idea is to be innovative and at the same time to be respectful with the vineyard and the place.”

Corinne works alongside head viticulturalist Fred Langdale and his team. They’re extremely hands on and carry out a lot of canopy management work in order to minimise the need for chemical input and maximise the quality and access to the grapes.

Corinne adds, “I am there to express what the soils and the environment can give to the grapes. We are a single vineyard with the winery located at the top of it. It takes a few minutes to bring the whole bunches in. As soon as they arrive, they are delicately and slowly pressed. I really don’t want to intervene and I try to preserve the elegant freshness that will help the wines to age well.”

Do you have any new wines on the horizon that you can tell us about?

Corinne playfully says, “I like surprises and I like to make them too. So yes, I can tell you that I have a few surprises to come, one of which is going to be unexpected knowing how I usually work…”

We can’t wait to find out what Corinne and Exton Park has in store for us but in the meantime, please join us in raising a glass of one of their fantastic new Reserve Blends!

Click to browse our range of Exton Park wines