2017 Blanc de Blancs
Our highly anticipated 'Blanc de Blancs' has been a project of patience, love and stewardship here in our hidden valley. Nurtured through the 2017 growing season and subsequent production time in the winery by Gerald, Mardi and Pete.
Our Meadowbank dream team have called upon everything their extensive backgrounds have to offer. Gerald Ellis, the legendary Tasmanian vigneron, who has tended to and grown grapes for some of the best sparkling wine in the world (hint hint...House of Arras). Peter Dredge, the cult winemaker / artist / mad scientist, who has worked alongside and been mentored by iconic Australian sparkling wine doyen's Brian Croser (Petaluma and Croser Sparkling) and Ed Carr (House of Arras). Add to this the wonderful Mardi Ellis, whose natural effervescence inspires everything that we do, and this is when the magic truly happens.
Our 2017 Blanc de Blancs was made exclusively with Meadowbank Chardonnay from our south-facing Far Horse Vineyard block and left on tirage for 5 years. It was disgorged in September 2022 with a minimal intervention dosage liqueur (we're talking next to no sugar added here, think Extra Brut!). This allows the wine to really showcase an authentic 'sense of place' experience, with trademark Meadowbank flavours and seasonal characteristics detectable between vintage releases.
This wine is now in it's prime time for release and your drinking pleasure. Our Blanc de Blancs is the aperitif, the starter, the sparkling you would reach for with fresh oysters. Refined and delicate in style, with lemon/lime acidity dancing alongisde creamy brioche in the glass. This wine will be happy to sleep in your cellar for up to 5 years, if you're more intruiged by secondary and tertiary flavour development.
Really though, it's hard to go past drinking this one right now. With oysters, and loved ones.
Reviews:
93 POINTS - "There’s nothing frivolous about this. It’s a rich, flavoursome style, serious from start to finish, with honey, beeswax, grilled peach and grapefruit characters gliding slowly towards roasted chestnut and brine. It feels a bit woody – not sure if it is, but it just has that feel. It certainly makes an impression." - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front.
*Note: for those wondering, all our wines are vegan friendly.