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Wine Information
A bone dry apéritif-style sparkling wine made without the traditional disgorging liqueur (zero dosage). Composed of 100% Chardonnay, the wine is elegant and balanced extending to a crisp, refreshing finish.
Fresh and lively, the aroma resonates with true Chardonnay character. The vintage Z*D Blanc de Blancs opens with fine, lively bead and mousse and the nose leads into archetypal aromas of green apples and citrus supported by complex yeast character from over 36 months of yeast aging. With time, chalk and mineral elements will evolve with a whisper of walnut and cashew, expressing true Chardonnay flavour.The palate is racy and taught with refreshing linear acidity, while the textural mid palate reveals pears, white peach and a sense of just baked sweet pastry. Length of flavour supported by fine acidity find their balance in this bone dry aperitif style sparkling. A perfect match with at least a dozen freshly shucked oysters.
The complexity of the Z*D Blanc de Blancs is a result of the diversity of fruit sourcing, including vineyards of varying altitude, age and aspect. Grapes were selected from a range of cool climate sites including our Green Point vineyard in the Yarra Valley, along with vineyards in Strathbogie and the King Valley. The cool climate of the Yarra Valley and the high Alpine regions produce chardonnay base wines with tight palate structures, vibrant fruit characters and high acidity. Vineyards are planted to various densities, with an average yield of 8 - 10 tonnes per hectare. Most vineyards are trained to the standard vertical shoot positioning trellis to minimise the development of phenolics and tannins whilst maintaining vibrancy of flavour.
The chardonnay grapes for the Z*D Blanc de Blancs were picked from late February to early April at 10.8° to 11.6° baumé. The grapes were picked in the cooler parts of the day to preserve quality and limit colour extraction during the cuvée pressing. The fruit from each vineyard was pressed and fermented separately, and the individual cuvées were selected for the final blend. Chardonnay base wines with a creamy middle palate, elegance and length were chosen to ensure that the wine would not require the addition of dosage liqueur to achieve the final balance. The Z*D Blanc de Blancs spent over 36 months on yeast prior to disgorgement. After disgorging, each bottle was topped with its own wine (no sugar dosage was used). To preserve the wine and eliminate the risk associated with the traditional cork closure, the Z*D Blanc de Blancs was capped with an innovative crown seal. The wine was rested for an additional three months and released in February.
