The Duchess White Sparkling Riesling 2021

Appearance: pale hay with bright green hues, fine steady bead

Aroma: ripe green Granny Smith apple, exotic white flowers of jasmine and citrus blossom, agave nectar, bee pollen, green mango, honeydew melon, white cherry

Palate: fine, elegant, long and fresh with a hint of creaminess; juicy honey crisp apple, lemon lime citrus, green apple skin; mineral, ethereal, and well weighted; finely precise with notes of cucumber, grapefruit

A low yielding year of heavy rainfall in the build-up to the ripening period and close to harvest. The mitigating factor was the warm breeze from the east which helped to dry out the canopy and keep disease at bay. Harvest was early and resulted in concentrated fruit with great ripeness.

Painstakingly hand harvested in early morning, fruit was cooled overnight before whole bunch pressing. Juice was lightly settled, racked to ferment, and allowed to progress at cool temperatures to preserve the aromatics. In late May, the wine returned to bottle for tiraging, fermented slowly and rested on the lees until disgorging in May 2022 with zero dosage (no sugar).