The marriage of Pernod Ricard NZ’s fruit at Marlborough with the Champagne house of Deutz’s 150 years of experience created an instant winner. Bottled-fermented and matured on its yeast lees for two to three years, this non-vintage wine has evolved over the past decade into a less overtly fruity, more delicate and flinty style. The Pinot Noir grapes are drawn principally from Kaituna Estate, on the north side of the Wairau Valley; the Chardonnay comes mostly from Renwick Estate, in the middle of the valley. Before being bottled, the base wine is lees-aged for up to three months and given a full malolactic fermentation. Reserve wines, a year or two older than the rest, are added to each batch, contributing consistency and complexity to the final blend. The wine I tasted in late 2014 (5*) was complex and highly fragrant, with a delicate bead and rich, yeasty, biscuity aromas and flavours, finely balanced and lingering.
Details
Type: Sparkling Wines
Variety: Sparkling Wines
Vintage: 2014
Overall Rating for All Vintages Tasted: ★★★★ – 4 Stars
Price: $27 NZD
Sweetness: MED/DRY
Value for Money: AV
Buyer’s Guide Edition: 2016