Sunnycliff Estate Sparkling Brut Chardonnay Pinot Noir Murray-Darling, #

Unbeatable value in my view, this Aussie sparkling is mellow and smooth with aromas of white fruits, bread and spice. Produced from a blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Noir, Frank uses an unusual and fairly long process to produce it. Grapes are harvested in mid-January, picked, pressed and fermented at low temperature to produce the base wines which are left on lees for some time. Specific parcels are then selected and enter into a modified solera system – the system used in Jerez in Southern Spain to produce sherry. Over a six-year period, younger and older component wines are blended in five stages to give more complexity and mature flavours. The final blend then undergoes a second alcoholic fermentation in bottle to give it its sparkle.