Griesel Pinot Blanc Prestige Brut Nature 2020

The Griesel Sekt Pinot Blanc Prestige Brut Nature 2020 is a limited vintage sparkling wine without dosage. Only 2,000 bottles were filled. The Blanc de Blanc Sekt, a white sparkling wine made from the white grape varieties Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay, has aromas of juicy pear and apple compote, along with almond kernel and almond blossom, while notes of fresh brioche complete the experience. On the palate, the impressively fine perlage is present, creating a pleasant, soft mouthfeel. It lingers, carrying the acidity and slightly bitter matcha and herbal notes, until finally the invigorating freshness and a chalky minerality remain. The idea for this comes from cellar master Rachele (Rakete) Crosara.

Sekthaus Griesel – how the Pinot Blanc Prestige is created

The grapes for this Griesel Pinot Blanc Prestige Sekt grow on soils in the Hessische Bergstraße region, 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 2020 and then very gently pressed. As in Champagne, Niko Brandner also knows the importance of gentle pressing, because the fewer tannins and wax from the berry skins that get into the must, the finer and longer-lasting the perlage in the sparkling wine can later be. Only about 50% of the juice present in the berries is pressed off.

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 (76%) and wooden (24% barrique) barrels for aging, which gives the sparkling wine more complexity.

A year later, in July 2021, the Chardonnay is bottled unfiltered and unfined and dosed with the tirage to trigger the second fermentation in the bottle. Now it is allowed to rest and mature for another 34 months on the fine lees in the cellar built in 1904. It is regularly riddles, and the bottles are increasingly turned upside down until, at the very end during disgorgement (June/2024), the yeast plug is removed from the bottle, and the Griesel Sekt Pinot Blanc Prestige goes on sale without the addition of dosage and without the addition of 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 on the lees for at least 36 months and undergoes the second fermentation, the conversion from wine to sparkling wine. The long contact with the yeast ensures a fine perlage and notes of brioche, of fine yeast dough, in the sparkling wine Griesel Sekt Prestige.