London Clay

London Clay is named for the geology it grows on: the heavy, mineral-rich seam that runs beneath Essex and out under the capital itself. Made in Essex, one of the driest and sunniest corners of Britain and increasingly the source of England's most exciting fruit.

The wines are traditional-method sparkling of real precision, and priced with a refreshing lack of ceremony. Chalk gets the headlines in English wine; clay, it turns out, has plenty to say for itself.