Griesel Sekt – Blanc de Blancs Tradition Brut 2021

The Griesel Sekt Blanc de Blancs Brut Tradition 2021 is a classic sparkling wine made from Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc. This Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine, meaning a white wine made from white grape varieties, offers aromas of juicy pear and apple compote, complemented by notes of almond kernel and almond blossom, with hints of fresh brioche rounding out the profile. On the palate, the impressively fine perlage is present, creating a wonderfully soft mouthfeel. It persists, carrying the acidity and slightly bitter matcha and herbal notes, until finally, an invigorating freshness and chalky minerality remain.

Sekthaus Griesel – how the Blanc de Blancs Brut is made

The grapes for this Griesel Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine grow on soils of the Hessian Bergstraße, which are characterized by a high granite content, forcing the vines to dig deep into the earth. This and the cool winds from the nearby Odenwald ensure a good acid structure and minerality in the base wines.

The Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc grapes were hand-picked in September 2021 and then pressed very gently. As in Champagne, Niko Brandner understands the importance of gentle pressing, because the less tannins and wax from the grape skins enter the must, the finer and more persistent the perlage in the sparkling wine can later become. Only about 50% of the juice present in the berries is pressed. Niko Brandner can draw on 8% reserve wines, which make the Blanc de Blancs 2021 appear even more complex.

In the cellar, Niko Brandner gives things time, so the grapes are allowed to ferment spontaneously and undergo malolactic fermentation, in which the malic acid in the wine is converted into the milder lactic acid, which gives the wine a special mouthfeel and creaminess. Cellar master Brandner combines large and small stainless steel (70%) and wooden (10% barrique, 20% Stückfass) barrels for aging, which gives the sparkling wine more complexity.

A year later, on July 30, 2022, the base wine is bottled without filtration or fining and dosed with tirage to initiate the second fermentation in the bottle. The dosage was 2g/l. Now it is allowed to rest and mature for another 20 months on its fine lees in the cellar built in 1904, it is regularly riddled and the bottles are increasingly turned upside down, until at the very end, during disgorgement, the yeast plug is removed from the bottle and the Griesel Sekt Blanc de Blanc finally goes on sale in March 2024.

Tradition – Time and Enjoyment

A Griesel Sekt of the "Tradition" classification is produced using traditional bottle fermentation. After bottling the base wine, it matures for at least 20 months on the lees and undergoes the second fermentation, the conversion from wine to sparkling wine. The long yeast contact ensures a fine perlage and notes of brioche, of fine yeast dough, in the Griesel Sekt Tradition.