Hundred Hills Blanc de Blancs 2018
The Hundred Hills Blanc de Blancs Vintage Sparkling is made from 100% Chardonnay grapes sourced from the top parcel of Chardonnay clone 95 vines grown on thin top soils and flint covering over 160 metres of chalk. All the grapes were harvested by hand before being transported to the nearby winery. After gentle pressing in the Coquard press, the Chardonnay must was fermented in one 2,100-litre Rousseau cask. A selected yeast strain ‘La Marquise’ was used and malolactic fermentation was blocked for this wine. The wine was aged in Rousseau cask for five months. Bottling took place the year following harvest. The wine spent thirty-six months ageing on the lees prior to disgorgement. The Hundred Hills Blanc de Blancs has astonishing purity, with aromas of white flowers, lemon cream and citrus, leading to a pristine and crystalline palate. The autolytic brioche character develops on the palate, complemented by a mineral nuance and core of well-defined fruit.
