Late Disgorged Sparkling 2009

Winemaker Notes

In 2008—drawing on inspiration from traditional late disgorged producers in both Australia and France—we set about modifying our sparkling program. No longer allowing malolactic fermentation to proceed in base wines made from earlier picked fruit and under more reductive conditions did two things: it preserved fruit (rather than oxidative) character, and it also retained acidity. After eleven years on lees, the aim was always to have a wine that still showed youthful structure and freshness, but was imbued with the richness and development of that much time on lees. The higher acidity—which we got through earlier picking—means that the creaminess from the lees is not overpowering. The extra time also means we can keep the disgorging rate lower and—in my opinion—show the purity of the wine over such a long timeframe. It’s also important to note that despite its age, this style of sparkling will continue to mature while off lees. The longer it is kept, the toastier it will become, as well as gaining richness and mouthfeel.