2003 Chandon ZD Brut Chardonnay Pinot Noir

Notes sourced from Domaine Chandon
Grapes were sourced from a range of cool climate sites including Chandon’s Green Point vineyard in the Yarra Valley, as well as vineyards in Strathbogie and the King Valley. The cool climate of the Yarra Valley and the high Alpine regions produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir base wines with tight palate structures, vibrant fruit characters and excellent natural acidity. Soils at these sites vary from free draining sandy loams to aged alluvial loams with high clay content. Vineyards are planted to various densities depending on the soil type, ranging from 2,222 to 5,000 vines per hectare, with an average yield between 10-12 tonnes per hectare. Most of the selected vineyards are trained to the standard vertical shoot positioning trellis to minimise the development of phenolics and tannins whilst maintaining vibrancy of flavour.

Budburst commenced with mild to warm spring weather and low rainfall patterns, and these conditions prevailed through to the flowing period and crop set. The drier and warmer conditions resulted in small bunch and berry sizes, producing more concentrated varietal flavours. Despite the warmer days, cool night temperatures during the final stages of ripening allowed the preservation of acidity and produced fine and elegant base wines with great length and balance.

Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier were harvested from late February to early April at 10.5° – 11.3° baumé. Using a combination of handpicking and machine harvesting, the grapes were picked in the cooler parts of the day to preserve quality and ensure minimal colour was extracted during the cuvée pressing. The grapes were pressed and fermented separately to preserve the unique character of each site, with 30 individual cuvées chosen for the final blend composed of 46% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier and 49% Chardonnay. Base wines with creamier middle palate and soft-end palate structures were chosen to ensure that the wine would not require the addition of dosage liqueur to achieve the final balance.

The wine spent 30 months on yeast and was disgorged in March 2006. After disgorging, each bottle was topped with its own wine (no sugar dosage was used). To preserve the wine and eliminate the risk associated with the traditional cork closure, the Z*D Vintage Brut is capped with a crown seal. The wine was rested for an additional 3 months and released in June 2006. Tasting Notes: The finesse of Chardonnay with the power of Pinot, a bone dry apéritif-style sparkling wine created without traditional dosage liqueur (zero dosage). Delicate aromas of fresh citrus and spice rise from the glass and are enhanced by hints of freshly baked sweet pastries and cracked wheat. Tantalising green apple acidity leads into the soft and creamy middle palate. Nutty baked bread characters derived from two and a half years ageing on yeast complement the residual primary Chardonnay characters of citrus and hints of melon and savouriness from Pinot Noir. Perfect as an apéritif, this bone dry wine tapers to a long, lingering and crisp finish.
Alc 12.5%

Tasting Note:
ZD is zero dosage, and with the Chardonnay grape taking the lead, this is a very dry sparkling wine – perfect for those 40oC summer days.
Excellent mousse, showing persistent creamy head, followed by very fine persistent bead. The base wine is a deep straw colour. The nose shows impressive yeast autolysis character with a top note of biscuit, followed by yeast lees and cashew. The palate delivers a very austere taste sensation with lemon and grapefruit flavours dominant and followed by a very crisp acid finish. A crisp aperitif style – serve this sparkling wine with a smoked eel, entrée or canapés.
Cellar 4-5 years (2011-2012)
Alc/Vol: 12%