Classic
£40
Bright citrus and crisp orchard fruit lead into a fine, energetic mousse, with a light touch of oak adding texture without blunting the wine’s clean, chalky finish. Brilliant with oysters, crab or a bowl of very good crisps.
2015
Andover
Black Chalk began in 2015 with a leap of faith, local Hampshire fruit and winemaker Jacob Leadley’s conviction that English sparkling wine could be both precise and full of personality. The first bottles arrived in 2018. Two years later the team transformed a collection of tired farm buildings and established Test Valley vines into a purpose-built winery, tasting room and home of their own. It remains a small, hands-on operation where vineyard and cellar decisions are shared, challenged and refined by a team determined to let every vintage speak for itself.
Black Chalk’s 45,000 vines are spread across four distinct Test Valley sites: Rivers, edged by the Test and Anton; the broad Levels vineyard; warm, tucked-away Hide; and The Circle beside the tasting-room courtyard. Shallow soils sit directly over solid Hampshire chalk, bringing freshness and definition to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Précoce and Pinot Gris. The estate is certified through Sustainable Wines of Great Britain in both vineyard and winery.
WINEMAKER
Owner and winemaker Jacob Leadley retrained at Plumpton after leaving a London career, then built experience in England, Champagne and New Zealand before launching Black Chalk. He works alongside winemaker Zoë Driver, whose route took her from an Australian sparkling winery to becoming the UK’s first winemaking apprentice and completing an MSc in Viticulture and Oenology. Together they favour vintage-only, minimal-intervention wines: no house recipe, no hiding place, and plenty of room for each growing season to show its character.
The Collection
£40
Bright citrus and crisp orchard fruit lead into a fine, energetic mousse, with a light touch of oak adding texture without blunting the wine’s clean, chalky finish. Brilliant with oysters, crab or a bowl of very good crisps.
£65
Concentrated Chardonnay with crystalline citrus, green apple, pear and a flash of peach, layered over a rounded, finely textured palate. Salty, precise and long — a serious sparkling wine that still feels beautifully alive.
£45
Wild strawberry, raspberry and redcurrant tumble across a creamy but racy palate. The colour is delicate, the fruit is generous and the mouth-watering finish keeps it firmly on the lively side of luxurious.
Cellar door
Monday: 10:00–17:00
Tuesday: 10:00–17:00
Wednesday: 10:00–17:00
Thursday: 10:00–17:00
Saturday: 10:00–17:00
Sunday: 10:00–17:00
Friday: 10:00–21:00
Cellar door: Tasting room and shop open daily 10:00–17:00. Friday Night Lates extend service to 21:00; check the official website for seasonal dates and event changes.