Calcaire Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature – 2019

The 2019 Calcaire Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature from the Rings winery is a grower sparkling wine with zero dosage.

The 2019 Calcaire Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature from the Rings winery is a sparkling wine made from pure Pinot Noir, vinified white to give it a light color in the bottle. The vines are rooted in limestone—hence the name "Calcaire"—and no dosage is added after disgorgement.

The 2019 Calcaire Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature is a bottle-fermented sparkling wine from the Rings winery in Freinsheim, grown on the calcareous soils of the Palatinate region. At 12.0 percent alcohol, it remains lean, and because it spent 36 months on the lees in the bottle, the perlage has become exceptionally fine. It was fermented spontaneously without added sulfur and aged in tonneaux and stainless steel.

Rock dust, sea breeze, and a hint of brioche

The initial impression is mineral and almost cool, with rock dust, rain-soaked limestone, and a salty note typically associated with the coast.

Underneath lie delicate notes of smoke, brioche, and sourdough, both remnants of the long period spent on the lees. As it breathes, a second layer of Amalfi lemon and grapefruit zest opens up, along with a subtle touch of cherry and red currant, recalling the red grapes from which it originated.

On the palate, the sparkling wine is taut and grippy, carried by a brilliant acidic structure. Sweet-and-sour fruit, salt, and limestone stand side-by-side, while fine tannins from the red skins provide the structure. The winery recommends a serving temperature of around 10 degrees Celsius and a large glass to allow the aromas to unfold.

With oysters, turbot, and sourdough bread

A sparkling wine without any sweetness is a different tool at the table than a soft sparkling wine, as it cleanses the palate rather than filling it.

Classic pairings include oysters with a squeeze of lemon, pan-seared turbot with brown butter, or fried anchovies. Dark sourdough bread with salted butter is also very convincing, as the sparkling wine finds its own yeast notes reflected within it.

Aged hard cheese with salt crystals is an equally suitable counterpart. Further bottles with perlage can be found among our sparkling wines, and those looking for the same soil profile in a still wine will find it in the Kallstadter Spätburgunder vom Kalk.

Thirty-six months on the lees provides the finishing touch

Brut Nature means that no dosage is added to the bottle after disgorgement—nothing to round off the edges or fill the gaps.

That is precisely why the foundation must be perfect before the sparkling wine ever enters the bottle. What a winemaker might otherwise mask with a few grams of sweetness is laid bare here, and a base wine that is too lean would simply remain thin and acidic.

Time on the lees is the remedy for this. Over 36 months, the dead yeast cells slowly decompose, releasing proteins and aromatic compounds into the sparkling wine, which gives it mellowness, breadth, and that brioche character. At the same time, the carbon dioxide becomes more finely integrated, making the perlage creamy rather than sharp. This creates a sparkling wine that remains drinkable without dosage; more of this craftsmanship can be seen in the Rings winery's assortment.

2019 Calcaire Blanc de Noirs Brut Nature – a sparkling wine and its stats

• Origin: Germany
• Growing region: Palatinate
• Winery: Rings
• Style: Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine
• Grape variety: Pinot Noir
• Taste profile: Brut Nature, zero dosage
• Content: 0.75 l
• 12.0% vol alcohol
• Residual sugar: less than 3 g/l

Organic certification number – DE-ÖKO-022 German Agriculture