2022 Blanc de Noir

2022 Blanc de Noir

Hand-picked from a single block of 1985 “Clone 93” Pinot Noir, and for the first time including a small addition of estate Pinot Meunier, this sparkling wine has flourished in our traditional method program. Elegantly structured and full of character, it’s perfect for special celebrations and everyday enjoyment.

A delicate rose gold in the glass and pouring with a fine textured mousse and persistent bead, aromas of golden apple and yellow raspberry coulis, scorched hazelnut, and toasted sourdough emerge from the glass, with a hint of the first strawberry of the season. The palate is unctuous yet focused with fresh acidity. Bright notes of ambrosia apple, grapefruit zest and pomegranate, with a hint of oyster shell, shine through and take the wine from its fruity upfront expression to a more mineral-driven finish.

WINEMAKER'S NOTES

The grapes for our Pinot Noir-based Blanc de Noir sparkling are typically the first harvested from our estate vineyard each year, picked early to allow for low alcohol and elevated acidity. The wine was fermented in old oak puncheons with a Champagne specific yeast culture. The base wine then spent 7 months on fermentation lees in barrel before going “en tirage” for secondary fermentation in bottle. After 22 months on lees in bottle the wine was disgorged in February of 2025 with a small amount of dosage wine from the 2022 Maija Pinot Noir added to bring out the aromatics and toasty character present in the wine.

TECHNICAL INFO

100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 12.6%
Residual Sweetness: 4.1 g/L
pH: 3.12
Total Acidity: 7.44 g/L

  • VINTAGE NOTES

    The 2022 growing season produced some exceptional quality grapes and resulting wines. The winter of 21/22 was harsh, with many vines exhibiting primary bud damage following a cold snap of -26.5 around Christmas. Above average rainfall in May charged the soil with water and gave the vines everything they needed to hit the ground running after a long winter and late bud break. The rain continued into June meaning no irrigation was needed for the vines till much later than average and allowed the cover crop to flourish.

    Summer was relatively mild though some hot spells in late July and early August helped push the season along. September and October were perfect for developing flavours in the grapes while not having too much sugar produced. This resulted in beautifully balanced wines withmoderate alcohol.