Trialling Dosage levels for the new Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay

The current vintage of our beautiful Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay has nearly sold out. Although we will be sad to see it go (apart from the sweet

little six packs we've got stowed away in museum stock) we set our eyes on the status of its predecessor - the 2009 vintage.

This Sparkling was tiraged 24 months ago. This is what happens when the base wine is bottled on secondary yeast fermentation lees and sealed by a crown seal. Over time the lees naturally cause the wine to undergo its secondary fermentation, this allows the imparting of those delicious brioche and ANZAC biscuit characters as well as the creation of the CO2 - or as we like to call bubbles!

Today the Winemakers set about selecting an appropriate dosage' to add to the new Sparkling as it undergoes disgorging. In this picture there are varying dosage levels in each glass which are tested to determine the final dosage level to be added. Traditional method champagne generally only needs some sugar to round the palate out, some added Sulphur for microbial stability and acid for mouth-feel and balance.

Disgorging is the final stage that occurs when the bottles are tipped upside down for the lees to fall to the necks of the bottles, the necks are then frozen and the frozen lees removed. The bottles are then topped up with the dosage liqueur, corked, sealed and labelled....

And Presto; there's a very good looking bottle of Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay made in the Traditionale Methode Champenoise technique.

Cheers!

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