Blanc de Noirs Sekt, the Palatinate champagne from Philipp Kuhn
The 2017 Philipp Kuhn Blanc de Noirs Sekt is a VDP.Sekt made from 100 percent Pinot Noir, matured via bottle fermentation. Dry, creamy, with fine lees. Not a loud sparkling wine, but a winemaker's Brut Nature Sekt with no dosage.
Philipp Kuhn Blanc de Noirs Sekt 2017 is a white vintage sparkling wine made from red grapes, pressed from 100 percent Pinot Noir in the Palatinate region. Philipp affectionately calls his Sekt "Palatinate champagne." Let yourself be surprised by the fine perlage, which comes from 30 months of aging on the lees.
Yellow stone fruit, hazelnut, forest floor
Even on the nose, the Blanc de Noirs shows a distinct Pinot Noir fullness. On the palate, notes of yellow stone fruit, roasted hazelnut, brioche, and fresh forest floor follow.
Although it is completely fermented, this spontaneously fermented Brut Nature surprises with a wonderful extract sweetness and a very fine perlage. Creamy, fine, multi-layered, with 12.0% ABV and only 0.5 g/l residual sugar. This is how Sekt is done.
That is the art of Brut Nature: no dosage, no sweet masking, just the pure fruit of the Pinot Noir and the spice of the long lees aging. A Sekt that hides nothing.
With smoked salmon and Vitello Tonnato
The Blanc de Noirs is a wonderfully classic aperitif. It pairs just as well with light appetizers like Vitello Tonnato or smoked salmon as it does with a creamy mushroom risotto with turbot.
Well-chilled at 7 to 9 degrees, it is best opened as an aperitif in a white wine glass rather than a narrow flute, allowing its bouquet to unfold. It is a fine companion to smoked salmon or Vitello Tonnato. For those who want to taste more from the estate, opt for the still Blanc de Noir from Pinot Noir or the creamy Grauer Burgunder from Loess.
Bottle fermentation by hand until disgorging
The Pinot Noir grapes come from the best Laumersheim and Großkarlbach vineyards and are harvested by hand. Because the red color pigments are only in the berry skin, they are gently pressed, resulting in an almost white juice.
The base wine matures 60 percent in small wooden barrels and 40 percent in steel tanks, then rests for 30 months on the lees. The longer the yeast contact, the finer the perlage in the glass. The second fermentation takes place in the bottle, *méthode traditionnelle*, without any shortcuts.
After disgorging, the bottle is topped up with original raw Sekt, so the Sekt remains fully fermented and dry—truly Brut Nature. Philipp bottled his first vintage in 1992; today, the winery manages around 40 hectares. You can find more from the Palatinate among the other wines from Philipp Kuhn.
In a bulbous glass, not a slender flute
Well-chilled at 7 to 9 degrees, the Blanc de Noirs shows its fine perlage at its best. Serve it in a bulbous white wine glass, not a slender flute, so it can breathe properly. It is at its liveliest when freshly opened; it will last for one to two days with a good sparkling wine stopper. For toasting, festive meals, or simply in between, a great winemaker's Sekt for special moments. Hats off.
Blanc de Noirs Sekt – a wine and its values
- Origin Sekt from Germany
- Region Palatinate
- Winery Philipp Kuhn
- VDP.Sekt
- Grape variety Pinot Noir
- Brut nature - non-dosage
- 12.0% ABV alcohol
- 0.5 g/l residual sugar
- 7.9 g/l acidity