# Black Chalk: English Sparkling Wine Worth Putting Under the Christmas Tree > Source: https://wineguide101.com/black-chalk-english-sparkling-wine-christmas/ > Author: Damon Segal > Published: 2026-11-06T13:01:41+00:00 > Modified: 2026-11-06T13:01:41+00:00 Discover Black Chalk's English sparkling wines for Christmas, from Classic 2022 to the award-winning Eighty Nine Point Six magnum. *Forget another predictable bottle of Champagne. This Christmas, I'm looking a little closer to home, specifically Hampshire, where Black Chalk is making some seriously impressive English sparkling wines. Having tasted its wines earlier this year, I'm more than happy to champion a British producer that's giving the established names something to think about. And with bottles from £40 to £165, there's something here for both the Christmas table and the wine lover who already has everything. Black Chalk also asked nicely, and for the record, no bottles or payments changed hands to persuade me.* ## Why I'm Championing English Sparkling Wine This Christmas There's something rather satisfying about pouring a glass of excellent English sparkling wine and watching somebody assume it's Champagne. Not because there's anything wrong with Champagne. Far from it. But the assumption that serious sparkling wine must come from across the Channel is becoming increasingly difficult to defend. I've tasted some outstanding English sparkling wines over the past few years, and one producer that particularly caught my attention earlier this year was **Black Chalk**, based in Hampshire's Test Valley. I tasted two of its new releases, Eighty Nine Point Six and HiDE, at a Black Chalk event in September. Both reinforced my enthusiasm for what English producers are achieving. And while I'm not about to suggest we should abandon Champagne, I'm increasingly inclined to support British winemakers who are producing wines that deserve recognition on their own merits. Particularly at Christmas, when we're all supposed to be feeling generous. There's also a broader point here. As somebody who spends much of his working life thinking about brands, premium products and how businesses compete, I find the development of English sparkling wine fascinating. These producers aren't simply selling an alternative to Champagne. They're building their own identities, telling the stories of their vineyards and giving consumers compelling reasons to explore something different. Black Chalk does that particularly well. ## What Makes Black Chalk Sparkling Wine Special? Black Chalk produces traditional-method English sparkling wines from its Hampshire estate, drawing on the three classic Champagne grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Its vineyards sit on the chalkland of the Test Valley, and that sense of place is central to the producer's identity. The name itself is wonderfully straightforward. No invented French-sounding château, no elaborate attempt to disguise the fact that the wines come from England. Just Black Chalk. It's a confident piece of positioning, and one I rather like. The winemaking combines carefully selected fruit with decisions about oak, fermentation, yeast strains and extended ageing on the lees. The aim is to develop complexity while retaining the freshness and purity that make English sparkling wine so appealing. For anyone less familiar with the terminology, *lees ageing* means leaving the wine in contact with the spent yeast after fermentation. Over time, this can contribute texture, richness and those delicious bread-like or pastry notes associated with traditional-method sparkling wines. It's one of the reasons a well-made sparkling wine can offer considerably more than bubbles and a nice-looking label. And at Christmas, when the food is rich and the celebrations tend to last rather longer than planned, that combination of freshness and complexity becomes especially useful. ## Four Black Chalk Wines Worth Gifting This Christmas ### 1. Black Chalk Classic 2022: £40 **Best for: Christmas aperitifs, festive lunches and an introduction to English sparkling wine.** Classic is the wine that started the Black Chalk story. The 2022 vintage blends Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, made using the traditional method with carefully judged oak influence and lees ageing. It's positioned as the quintessential English sparkling wine, combining freshness, finesse and enough character to hold its own beyond the opening toast. I think this is probably the most versatile recommendation in the collection. At £40, it's a proper gift without requiring the sort of financial justification normally reserved for buying a new kitchen appliance. It also offers an excellent opportunity to introduce friends and family to English sparkling wine without making the occasion feel like a formal tasting. **Zoë Driver's Christmas choice** When I asked Zoë Driver what makes English sparkling wine such a special Christmas gift, and which Black Chalk bottle she would choose, she went straight for Classic. "It was the very first wine we made at Black Chalk and, for me, it captures everything I love about English sparkling wine. It has lovely freshness and finesse, with real character and a beautiful balance." Zoë also makes a point I wholeheartedly agree with: English sparkling wine has developed into a category with genuine variety, from approachable traditional-method wines to more expressive small-batch releases. And she would be delighted to receive an English still wine as a gift, too. A useful reminder that Britain's wine story is no longer exclusively about bubbles. **Where to buy:** Black Chalk Wine, The Wine Society, Lea & Sandeman and The Good Wine Shop. ### 2. Black Chalk Paragon & Inversion 2022: £65 each **Best for: The wine enthusiast who enjoys exploring different grape varieties and winemaking styles.** Here's where Black Chalk becomes particularly interesting. Paragon and Inversion explore two contrasting expressions of traditional-method sparkling wine. **Paragon 2022** is a Blanc de Blancs, made from white grapes, while **Inversion 2022** is a Blanc de Noirs, made from black grapes. Both draw on the estate's chalkland vineyards and reflect Black Chalk's attention to clonal selection, yeast strains, oak and minimal intervention. The objective is to allow the fruit and vineyard character to remain central. For the curious wine drinker, these bottles offer something more engaging than simply buying the most expensive sparkling wine on the shelf. You could even buy both and organise a comparative tasting. It's the sort of Christmas activity I'd happily encourage, although perhaps not immediately after somebody has fallen asleep in front of the King's Speech. What makes these wines appealing as gifts is the opportunity to explore how different grape varieties can produce contrasting styles from the same producer and region. **Where to buy:** Black Chalk, Lea & Sandeman, The Good Wine Shop and Hedonism. ### 3. Black Chalk HiDE 2021: £80 **Best for: The serious wine lover who appreciates vineyard-specific wines.** HiDE is Black Chalk's first intentional single-vineyard wine, produced entirely from fruit grown at its Hide Vineyard. Planted in 2011, Hide is one of four vineyards on the Hampshire estate. It's a relatively warm site with shallow chalk soils, producing small yields of high-quality fruit. The wine blends Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, with 95% fermented in stainless steel and 5% in old oak. Partial malolactic fermentation contributes richness, while at least 46 months of lees ageing helps develop texture and complexity. For anyone who enjoys the technical side of wine, that's quite a compelling combination. What particularly interests me is the single-vineyard approach. In the wine world, we spend an extraordinary amount of time discussing terroir, sometimes to the point where a perfectly enjoyable glass becomes a geological seminar. But when a producer can demonstrate the character of a particular vineyard through the wine itself, the conversation becomes much more meaningful. HiDE represents that ambition. It's also the sort of bottle I'd rather receive than another novelty corkscrew, however impressive its packaging. **Where to buy:** Black Chalk, £80. ### 4. Black Chalk Eighty Nine Point Six 2020: £165 (My favourite) **Best for: A statement Christmas gift, a special celebration or somebody with a serious interest in fine sparkling wine.** If you're looking for something with a little more theatre, Eighty Nine Point Six certainly delivers. This Blanc de Blancs is produced exclusively in magnum format, using selected Chardonnay parcels from three estate vineyards: Upper Levels, Rivers and Hide. Its name refers to the chalk soils beneath those vineyards, formed approximately 89.6 million years ago. Which is quite a heritage story. Most wine brands struggle to explain what happened 20 years ago, never mind nearly 90 million. The wine has also achieved a significant distinction. According to Black Chalk, Eighty Nine Point Six was the only English wine to win a Trophy at the 2026 International Wine & Spirits Competition. That's a substantial achievement for a producer competing in an increasingly ambitious international sparkling wine market. **Jacob Leadley's Christmas choice** I also asked Black Chalk winemaker Jacob Leadley which bottle he'd choose as a Christmas gift. His answer was Eighty Nine Point Six. "It's a Blanc de Blancs from the 2020 vintage, blended exclusively for magnum, and a wine we're incredibly proud of." Jacob sees it as a wine to open for a special Christmas occasion, but also one worth keeping as it develops over time. I can see the appeal. A magnum already has a wonderful sense of occasion, and with a wine designed specifically for that format, rather than simply being a larger version of the standard bottle, there's an additional layer of interest. At £165, this isn't an everyday purchase. But for an important celebration or a generous gift, it makes a strong case for keeping the Champagne budget on this side of the Channel. **Where to buy:** Black Chalk, Lea & Sandeman and The Wine Society. ## What About a Black Chalk Wine Club Membership? For the person who already has an impressive wine collection, a wine club membership might be the more interesting option. Jacob also recommended Black Chalk's Wine Club, which extends the experience beyond simply receiving bottles. Membership includes a welcome magnum of Eighty Nine Point Six, followed by two separate cases of Black Chalk wines delivered during the year. Members also receive invitations to exclusive winemaker experiences. One highlight Jacob mentioned is the annual harvest day, when members join the team picking grapes before enjoying lunch together. That's exactly the sort of experience that helps people connect with a producer. As much as I love a good bottle of wine, getting into the vineyard, meeting the people responsible and understanding what goes into the finished product adds another dimension. And unlike a bottle consumed on Christmas Day, the membership gives someone something to look forward to throughout the following year. ## Is English Sparkling Wine Worth the Money? It's a fair question, particularly when English sparkling wines are increasingly competing at premium price points. The answer, for me, is that they should be judged on quality, character and enjoyment, not simply on whether they're cheaper than Champagne. Producing high-quality traditional-method sparkling wine requires investment, time and patience. Extended lees ageing means producers can have significant capital tied up in bottles long before they're ready for sale. And English producers face their own challenges, including variable weather, smaller production volumes and the costs of establishing vineyards and building brands. None of that automatically makes a wine worth its asking price, of course. The contents of the glass still have to do the work. But it does help explain why a serious English sparkling wine shouldn't necessarily be expected to compete with supermarket promotional Champagne. From a branding perspective, I think the strongest English producers are also beginning to understand something important: they don't need to imitate Champagne to justify their prices. They need to give people a reason to care about their own wines. Black Chalk's focus on individual vineyards, thoughtful winemaking and the distinctive chalkland of Hampshire is a good example. ## My Christmas Verdict: Buy British, But Buy What You Enjoy Having tasted Black Chalk earlier this year, I'm very happy to recommend exploring its wines this Christmas. For most people, **Classic 2022 at £40** is the obvious starting point. It's approachable, versatile and offers an excellent introduction to what the producer does. For someone who enjoys exploring different styles, Paragon and Inversion make an interesting pairing. HiDE is the more vineyard-focused choice, while Eighty Nine Point Six offers something genuinely special for a celebration or a serious collector. And yes, I'm pleased to support a great English winery. We have some remarkable wine producers in this country, and I'd much rather see them succeed than spend every Christmas recommending exactly the same familiar international labels. That doesn't mean I'm suggesting Black Chalk is the only English producer worth discovering. I'm also a big fan of [Hundred Hills](https://wineguide101.com/uk-wine-vineyards-oenotourism-2024/) in Oxfordshire and [Everflyht](https://wineguide101.com/everflyht-sussex-sparkling-wine/) in Sussex, both of which have impressed me and deserve a place on anyone's English sparkling wine radar. There's plenty of room for all three in my wine rack. Ultimately, Christmas wine should be about sharing something enjoyable with people you care about. If that bottle also supports a talented British winemaker, so much the better. And if your guests mistake it for Champagne, you can always tell them afterwards.