Nose
A very complex nose, green apples, spiced pear, short crust pastry, butter milk and fennel.
The barrel ferment adds a smoky layer and the lees adds a brioche note. The reserve wine adds
minerality an oyster shell like characteristic and butterscotch.
Palate
A fully flavoured wine on many levels with intense mid palate flavours and a long clean
finish. More fruity than the nose suggests with apples and pears, followed by spice and a yeasty
line adding length and complexity.
Harvest
The fruit was harvested in early February this early pick allows
for the so important acid levels required for a great sparkling base.
Winemaking
The flavour profile we are trying to achieve is somewhere between “granny smith” and the sweeter
“pink ladies” apple, whilst maintaining the crunchy acidity. The fruit is gently crushed and only the
cuvee is taken about 400 litres per tonne. As soon as the crush needs any mechanical assistance
we stop, we use only the free run juice. The fermentation process is activated naturally with wild
yeast there is no inoculation. Half of the wine is in French oak barrels and the other half is fermented
in tanks. There is plenty of solids in the wine including the lees this adds the all important texture
to this wine. Although the majority of the wine is from the 2014 vintage under the guidelines we
can blend a little reserve wine stock into the 2014 to give it our distinctive “house” style this is
common practice in France. A little of the 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 was used, whilst
this is a risky exercise, careful barrel management ensures the reserve wines develops slowly giving
multiple layers of flavour. After this simple and clean ferment the wine is bottled for it’s secondary
fermentation, after 48 months the wine is riddled and disgorged ready for the market.
Appearance
Brilliant straw, light golden glow, brilliant bead of sparkling which maintains through the
whole glass
