Blanc de Noirs Tradition Brut – 2021

Blanc de Noirs Tradition Brut from Griesel Sekt: smoky and juicy

The 2021 Blanc de Noirs Tradition Brut from Griesel Sekt is a grower's sparkling wine made from two red grape varieties that were pressed as white, harvested entirely by hand along the Hessische Bergstraße. Twenty months on fine lees, 7.0 grams of acidity, and a dosage of 2 grams per liter keep it dry.

Blanc de Noirs Tradition Brut 2021 is the sparkling wine from Griesel Sekt for which two red varieties are pressed as white. The goal is for the berry skins to add structure to the glass, not color. That is already determined by how the vines are pruned.

Smoked bacon over pear chutney and juniper

Ripe red apple and stewed pear open the bouquet, followed by rosemary and juniper. Finally, there is a warm note of lye-dusted pastry underneath, topped with a hint of smoked bacon.

The perlage is firm and fills the mouth, while the spice follows like a second tone. It is complex in structure and maintains its drive despite 12 percent alcohol, and what remains at the end is juiciness and a tension that never lets up.

Crispy pork belly stands up to its pressure, as do fried chanterelles or a miso-glazed eggplant. Because it brings its own smoke and spice, it can also handle a highly seasoned dish.

Why the berry must reach the press intact

Hand-harvesting means more than just a nice phrase on a label when it comes to sparkling wine. A mechanical harvester knocks the berries from the vine, causing many to burst. The juice is then exposed to air while still on the trailer.

In September 2021, the grapes were harvested 100 percent by hand, placed in crates, and transported whole to the press. Only there do the berries open, ensuring that not a single drop escapes before pressing and that the skins cannot release their color into the must.

This is the essential condition for a pale sparkling wine made from red grapes, as color and tannins reside solely in the skin, not in the juice. Afterward, only about every second drop is pressed; Griesel Sekt extracts no more than that from the berries.

Steel provides clarity, barriques provide breadth

In the cellar, fermentation begins without added yeast, followed by malolactic fermentation. This converts the sharp malic acid into softer lactic acid, which gives the sparkling wine its round mouthfeel. A good five-sixths of the base wine matures in stainless steel, while the rest rests in small barriques.

The steel keeps the fruit clear and cool, while the wood adds breadth and a touch of tannin. Five percent of the cuvée consists of reserve wines from previous vintages, which give the 2021 depth without making it taste aged.

It was bottled with the tirage on July 27, 2022, and nothing was removed from it beforehand. It then spent twenty months on the fine lees until riddling moved the yeast sediment into the neck and disgorging removed it, allowing it to go on sale in mid-March 2024.

The Riesling Tradition 2021 and the Blanc de Blancs with white varieties come from the same autumn, and the rest of the sparkling wine shelf stands beside them. Anyone who brings the berry to the press intact pays for it in labor hours and is rewarded with finesse.