This is a wonderful rendition of a Blanc de Noirs from former music producer-turned-winemaker, Adrian Pike, making a white sparkling wine with the classic red Champagne grapes Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. There’s no hint of their redness in the pale gold colour, but tempting aromas of redcurrants and raspberries give away the origin of this rich and complex wine. Just 450 bottles were made in 2013, and its age is showing beautifully now with a toasty, long finish.
Serving Suggestions
Serve chilled in a wide-rimmed Champagne glass. This is ideal to imbibe on alone but the richness and full mouthfeel of this well-crafted bubbly can also handle buttery, rich dishes like duck paté or sage and brown butter pasta. It also wouldn’t go amiss with an extravagant afternoon tea, and you could drop a fresh raspberry into the glass for a boozy bite to enjoy at the end of the glass.
Tasting Notes
This traditional method bubbly is all about the darker side of the moon: the red forest fruit aromas of wild raspberries and tart redcurrants. In the mouth, this is a full-bodied and rich wine with a lingering finish which takes a few seconds to reach its crescendo of warming aromas of vanilla, rhubarb crumble and fresh croissants.
