2004 Domaine Chandon Vintage Blanc de Blancs

Notes sourced from Moet Hennessy.
Grapes were sourced from a range of cool climate sites including our Green Point vineyard in the Yarra Valley, along with vineyards in Strathbogie and the King Valley. The cool climate of the Yarra Valley and the high Alpine regions produce Chardonnay base wines with tight palate structures, vibrant fruit characters and high 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 soil types, with an average yield between 10 and 12 tonnes per hectare. Most vineyards are trained to the standard vertical shoot positioning trellis to minimise the development of phenolics and tannins whilst maintaining vibrancy of flavour.

2004 was an excellent vintage, cool to mild conditions across the vineyard sites produced an abundance of fruit, and a substantial amount of fruit thinning was required in January to ensure the yields were controlled. A drier than average summer allowed the flavours and colours to develop gradually.

The near-perfect conditions produced a high natural acidity and an amazing intensity of colour and aromas in the Chardonnay.

Grapes were picked from late February through to early April at 10.5° to 11.3° baumé during the cooler parts of the day to preserve the quality and freshness of the juice. The Chardonnay grapes from each site were pressed and fermented separately to ensure the unique characteristics of each parcel of fruit were retained. 15 individual Chardonnay cuvées were then selected for their subtle yet concentrated varietal flavour, balanced structure and palate length, all essential for the delicate and elegant Blanc de Blancs style.

Following tirage and secondary fermentation the 2004 Blanc de Blancs spent 30 months ageing on yeast, an essential part of the méthode traditionnelle process. The wine was disgorged in April 2007 and a dosage liqueur was then added to fine tune its balance and structure. Each bottle was resealed with a cork and muselet, and aged in bottle for a further three months before release in July 2007.

A méthode traditionnelle style blended from individual parcels of cool climate Chardonnay to create a fresh and elegant wine with a soft dry finish.

Complex mineral and matchstick notes are complemented by fresh, subtle citrus rind and peach kernel notes. True to the Blanc de Blancs style, the entry is soft and mouth filling, with fine, crisp acidity providing the structural backbone to support a generous mid-palate. Vibrant lemon and lime zest and fresh white peach characters excite the palate, with delicious savoury and nutty yeast autolysis notes delivering richness and creaminess from the mid-palate through to the finish.

Vintage Direct Tasting note;
This crisp aperitif wine has spent 30 months on yeast lees. The mousse has a good creamy head with moderate hold. Fine bead, with very good persistence. Straw colour base wine. On the nose, delicate aroma of yeast lees and biscuit emerge followed by a citrus end note. Creamy palate texture, with grapefruit and lees palate flavours evident. Clean acid finish. A well made aperitif style with grapefruit aftertaste.
Cellar 2-3 years (2009-2010)
Alc/Vol: 12.5%