2020 Whitehaven Samantha Cuvée Méthode Traditionnelle
$49.00
Meticulously crafted in exceptionally limited quantities, this is the second release of Whitehaven's 'Samantha' Cuvée, a wine which celebrates Greg and Sue’s daughter Samantha, as she continues the legacy that her parents created together.
This elegant Méthode Traditionnelle is sustainably produced, from 100% Marlborough Chardonnay and Pinot Noir fruit (Chardonnay dominant) and is produced in accordance with Méthode Traditionnelle practices. Enjoy crisp, dry, delicate flavours balanced with lees age derived complexity, finishing fine, clean and long.
Produced in very limited quantities, this is the perfect bubbles to share with friends or to celebrate a special occasion.
TASTING NOTE
Colour / Appearance: Pale straw in colour with a fine bead.
Aroma / Bouquet: Aromas of citrus blossom and crunchy apple with appealing background yeast autolysis derived biscuit notes.
Palate: This Méthode Traditionnelle is a fine and elegant dry style of wine with freshness, gentle creaminess and impeccable balance. The aromas are reflected in the flavour profile and carry on to a long, precise, cleansing finish.
Cellaring: At least 5 years upon release. Over time we expect it will develop more toasty and savoury note, and roundness on the palate.
Food Match: Try with panfried fish or fresh oysters.
WINE ANALYSIS
Alcohol: 12.5%
Residual Sugar: 4.0 g/L
Titratable Acidity: 7.05 g/L
pH: 3.2
Winemaking and Vineyards:
This is Whitehaven’s second release of ‘Samantha’ Méthode Traditionnelle, a blend of Chardonnay (69%) and Pinot Noir (31%) exclusively from Whitehaven vineyards. 'Samantha' Cuvée celebrates Greg and Sue’s daughter Samantha, as she continues the legacy that her parents created together.
The wine was produced from Chardonnay fruit from our Paul’s Road vineyard in Marlborough’s Rapaura district and Pinot Noir from our Little Alfred vineyard in the Omaka valley. Select parcels of the two varieties were handpicked separately at low Brix to capture delicate flavours with bright acidity, and then gently whole bunch pressed to extract pure juice for fermentation into base wines with a neutral yeast strain. Once primary fermentation was complete, the wines rested on lees (yeast sediment) for 6 months before they underwent malolactic fermentation to soften the acidity and microbially stabilise the wine. Following trials, the base wines were blended and a 5% addition of reserve wine from 2018 was included. The wine was then bottled with a small addition of sugar and yeast (tirage) and underwent a second fermentation in bottle which produced additional alcohol and trapped carbon dioxide in the bottle (giving the bubbly effect upon opening in the finished wine). The wine was then aged on lees in bottle for 37 months, developing complexing, savoury and toasty notes. The final stages of the process involves moving the sediment to the neck of the bottle (riddling) before expelling the lees from the bottle in a frozen plug (disgorging), re-topping the bottle with a small volume of sweetened wine (dosage), and finally corking the bottle.
Harvest Date: 2nd march 2020 (Chardonnay), 4th March 2020 (Pinot Noir)
Tirage Date: 12 February 2021
Bottling date: December 2020
Disgorgement date: 27 March 2024
Release date: October 2024
ACCOLADES
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Creamy aromas intermingle with savoury flavours in this sparkling wine, which is a blend of 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir. These two classic grapes combine to bring bold, vibrant crisp citrus flavours to every sip. It is dry, full bodied and complex. 18.5/20
