High Clandon The Cerulean Cuvée

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10 September 2026

The Cerulean Cuvée 2020 was a real treat, shared with my wife and I, when we went round to see friends who live close to High Clandon Estate in East Clandon, on the chalky Surrey Hills. The estate was founded in 2004 by Sibylla and Bruce Tindale and is very much a small, boutique operation. I have visited before for events, with wine, including charity art exhibitions. Its one-acre vineyard is entirely hand tended.

High Clandon has built an impressive reputation for such a small estate. It has won the IWC Cellar Door of the Year trophy twice and received Gold Medals for Visitor Experience from Visit England. Between 2015 and 2025, its wines collected 14 Gold and 16 Silver medals in international competitions, including golds at the Champagne & Sparkling Wine World Championships. In 2025, the estate was also named among The Real Review’s Top Twenty Wineries of Great Britain.

For many years, High Clandon’s wine was made at Bolney, although production is now handled by Litmus Wines at Denbies. I believe this change followed an incident in which High Clandon grapes or wine disappeared while at Bolney. Cerulean is one of the first wines produced for the estate by Litmus.

The name Cerulean refers to the Grecian goddess of the celestial heavens and evokes myths of halcyon blue skies, bliss, peace and tranquillity. The blend is 57% Chardonnay, 26% Pinot Noir and 17% Pinot Meunier, made by the traditional method and aged for five years on the lees. This is the 2020 vintage, at 12% abv. At the International Wine Challenge 2025, it received a Silver medal and 93 points.

In the glass it is golden, with a fine yet generous mousse. Lemon and green apple come through first, followed by a lovely toasty, biscuity character from the extended lees ageing. The flavour is crisp and energetic, with citrus and apple driven by pronounced acidity, while pastry-like autolytic complexity adds depth. It is dry, with a creamy, silky mouthfeel that softens the brightness of the acidity. The body is medium and the finish is long, chalky and citrus-led.

This is classic English sparkling wine and could very easily be mistaken for Champagne. It is around £43 direct from the vineyard, although they may now only have the next Borealis Cuvée 2021 vintage available.

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