Ben Walgate has long been one of the most dynamic voices in English wine. After formative years at Gusbourne and as co-founder of Tillingham, where his boundary-pushing experiments helped redefine the possibilities of British viticulture, he has turned the page with a new, deeply personal project: Walgate Wines. Based in a converted boatyard warehouse in Rye, Sussex, Walgate Wines unites modern precision with a lo-fi sensibility, sourcing grapes from top southeast growers and shaping them with patience and restraint. The focused range includes still red, white, and rosé wines of depth and integrity, alongside small quantities of traditional-method sparkling. With just 22,000 bottles in the debut release, Walgate’s aim is clear: to craft serious English wines that claim a place on the world stage.

The 2020 blanc de blancs reflects both respect for tradition and Walgate’s fascination with ancient forms. Chardonnay from his organically farmed Peasmarsh vineyard in East Sussex was whole-bunch pressed and fermented with native yeasts in neutral oak, echoing the purity he once sought in amphora and qvevri. After ten months of maturation, the wine was bottled and left to rest a further fifteen months on lees before disgorgement in March 2025. Finished with a brut nature dosage and minimal sulfur, it carries a fine, crystalline energy: orchard fruit and citrus layered over mineral depth, with a gentle textural richness that unfolds slowly across the palate. At just 10.6% alcohol, it is both delicate and complex, a sparkling wine that balances England’s bright edge with timeless restraint.