Nose: Big apple explodes from the bottle even before pouring a glass. In my glass the green apple is more subtle and nicely blended with warm bread dough notes and a mineral oil foundation. More character here than I was expecting. A pleasant surprise!
Palate: Strong mineral and lime flavors in the mouth. Very dry. Bubbles are extremely small and lazy. They ooze around rather than dance.
Finish: Lemon grass on the long finish.
Overall: The nose is intriguing and the finish delightful. The bubbles and mouth feel are small which means you can pair this with almost anything you would a non-sparkling table Chardonnay. For the price you can find something that dances. I paid $16 for this sparkling wine at the local store. This New Zealand sparkling wine is made in the traditional Champagne way. It is a blend of 76% Pinot Noir and 24% Chardonnay from Bendigo, Central Otago, New Zealand. The Kiwis definitely know their way around wine. It is no surprise that a sparkling wine from there has made its way up here. This is a non-vintage, as many sparkling wines are. This means you will not see a year on the bottle. Rather it is a blend of wine from several years.
Raise a glass!
