Griesel Sekt – Chardonnay Prestige Brut Nature

The Griesel Sekt Chardonnay Prestige Brut Nature 2020 is a limited vintage sparkling wine with no dosage. Only 3,000 bottles were filled. The Chardonnay Blanc de Blanc Sekt, meaning a white sparkling wine made from white grapes, has aromas of juicy pear and apple compote, complemented by notes of almond kernel and almond blossom, and rounded off by hints of fresh brioche. On the palate, the impressively fine perlage is present, creating a wonderfully smooth mouthfeel. It persists, carrying the acidity and slightly tart matcha and herbal notes, until finally an invigorating freshness and chalky minerality remain.

Sekthaus Griesel – how the Chardonnay Prestige is made

The grapes for this Griesel Chardonnay Prestige Sekt grow on soils in the Hessische Bergstraße, characterized by a high granite content, forcing the vines to root deep into the earth. This, combined with cool winds from the nearby Odenwald, ensures a good acid structure and minerality in the base wines.

The Chardonnay grapes were hand-picked in September 2020 and then pressed very gently. Like in Champagne, Niko Brandner understands the importance of gentle pressing, because the less tannins and wax from the grape skins get into the must, the finer and longer-lasting the perlage in the sparkling wine can be later. Only about 50% of the juice present in the berries is pressed.

In the cellar, Niko Brandner and cellar master Rachele Crosara (affectionately known as Rakete, "rocket") give things time, allowing the grapes to ferment spontaneously and undergo malolactic fermentation, where the malic acid in the wine converts into milder lactic acid, giving the wine a special mouthfeel and creaminess. Cellar master Brandner combines large and small stainless steel (76%) and wood (24% barrique) barrels for maturation, which gives the sparkling wine more complexity.

One year later, in August 2021, the Chardonnay is bottled without filtration or fining and equipped with a tirage to initiate the second fermentation in the bottle. It is then allowed to rest and mature on its fine lees for another 34 months in the cellar built in 1904. It is regularly riddles, and the bottles are increasingly inverted until, at the end of disgorgement (June 2024), the yeast plug is removed from the bottle and the Griesel Sekt Chardonnay Prestige is released for sale without the addition of dosage or sulfur. 7.2g/l acidity

Sparkling wine with time and pleasure

A Griesel Sekt of the Prestige classification is made using traditional bottle fermentation. After bottling the base wine, it matures for at least 34 months on the lees and undergoes the second fermentation, the conversion of wine to sparkling wine. The long yeast contact ensures a fine perlage and notes of brioche, of fine yeast dough, in the Griesel Sekt Prestige sparkling wine. Treat yourself to one of the 3,000 limited bottles.