Griesel – Pinot Blanc Prestige 2018 – Sekt Brut Nature

The Griesel Sekt Pinot Blanc Prestige Brut Nature 2018 is a limited vintage sparkling wine without dosage. Only 2,988 bottles were filled. This Blanc de Blancs Sekt, meaning a white sparkling wine made from the white grape varieties Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay, offers aromas of juicy pear and apple compote, complemented by almond kernel and almond blossom, and rounded off by notes of fresh brioche. On the palate, an impressively fine perlage is present, creating a wonderfully soft mouthfeel. It persists, carrying the acidity and slightly tart matcha and herbal notes, until an invigorating freshness and a chalky minerality remain at the finish. The idea for this concept originated with cellar master Rachele (Rakete) Crosara.

Sekthaus Griesel – how the Pinot Blanc Prestige is made

The grapes for this Griesel Pinot Blanc Prestige Sekt grow on soils in the Hessische Bergstraße region, characterized by a high granite content, which forces the vines to dig deep into the earth. This, combined with cool winds from the nearby Odenwald, ensures good acidity and minerality in the base wines.

The Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc grapes were hand-harvested in September 2018 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 enter 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 allows things to take their time; the grapes undergo spontaneous fermentation and malolactic fermentation, where 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 uses a combination of large and small stainless steel (76%) and wood (24% barrique) barrels for aging, which gives the sparkling wine more complexity.

One year later, on 10.08.2019, the Chardonnay is bottled without filtration or fining and given the tirage to initiate the second fermentation in the bottle. It then rests and matures for another 34 months on its fine lees in the cellar built in 1904, being regularly riddled and the bottles gradually inverted, until at the end of disgorgement (May/2022) the yeast plug is removed from the bottle and the Griesel Sekt Pinot Blanc Prestige is released for sale without any dosage or added sulfur. 7.2g/l acidity

Sparkling wine with time and enjoyment

A Griesel Sekt of the Prestige classification is produced using traditional bottle fermentation. After bottling the base wine, it matures for at least 36 months on the lees and undergoes the second fermentation, the conversion of wine into sparkling wine. The long contact with the lees ensures a fine perlage and notes of brioche, of fine yeast dough, in the sparkling wine Griesel Sekt Prestige.