Pinot Blanc Prestige Brut Nature – 2020

Pinot Blanc Prestige Brut Nature 2020 by Griesel Sekt, creamy and straightforward

Pinot Blanc Prestige Brut Nature 2020 by Griesel Sekt is a Blanc de Blancs made from Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay, bottled in July 2021 and disgorged in June 2024. There are 2,000 bottles of this vintage, each one without a trace of dosage.

Pinot Blanc Prestige Brut Nature 2020 is a sparkling wine from Griesel Sekt that brings together Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay, grown above Bensheim in the Hessische Bergstraße region on soils with a high granite content. The grapes were harvested by hand in September 2020, and cellar master Rachele Crosara initiated this blend.

A soft mouthfeel over a clear herbal tartness

Notes of apple compote and juicy pear rise from the glass, followed by almond kernel and almond blossom. Underlying it all is the yeast dough aroma of fresh brioche.

The perlage is fine enough to cushion rather than tickle the mouth. It carries the acidity along with a slightly bitter hint of matcha and herbs. The finish is defined by invigorating freshness and a chalky minerality, characteristic of the lean soils from which these wines originate.

Baked cauliflower with hazelnut butter is a natural pairing, as are grilled langoustines or a thin tarte flambée. Because this sparkling wine lacks any residual sugar, it stands up well to acidity in food—whether from lemon or a splash of vinegar in a salad.

What distinguishes Pinot Blanc from Chardonnay

Pinot Blanc is a light-colored mutation of Pinot Noir, which arose from a quirk of the vine that eventually stopped depositing pigment in the berry skins. Chardonnay, on the other hand, is a distinct variety; while the Pinot lineage plays a role in its ancestry, it ripens differently and tastes different.

The Pinot Blanc provides fullness, a round mouthfeel, and a calm, rather restrained fruit profile. The Chardonnay contributes length, structure, and the acidity that carries a sparkling wine over the years. Without dosage, this division of labor becomes important, because whatever cannot be smoothed over by sugar must be provided by the grape variety itself.

Thus, the 7.2 grams of acidity per liter do not feel sharp here, but rather supported, because there is enough substance beneath it. You taste less like two varieties side-by-side than a unified line.

Almost three years of rest under the crown cap

Before bottling, a good three-quarters of the base wines were aged in stainless steel, while the smaller remainder was aged in used barriques. The wood of those barrels has long been saturated and therefore imparts air rather than flavor. The grapes were pressed so gently that only about half of the juice ran from the berries, as anything more would have introduced tannins and a coarser perlage.

In July 2021, the wine went into the bottle unfined and unfiltered, along with the tirage that triggers the second fermentation. Thirty-five months on the fine lees passed before disgorgement in June 2024, during which time the perlage became further refined.

There was no dosage added afterward, and no additional sulfur was used. Thus, 2,000 bottles were released to the market just as the cool vintage provided them.

Two vintages earlier, the same blend tastes riper—you can read more about it in the Pinot Blanc Prestige 2018, while the Chardonnay Prestige 2019 shows the same signature without the Pinot Blanc. Other bottle-fermented wines are available among our other sparkling wines.