2017 St Huberts Blanc De Noir

First made in 2010, the St Huberts Sparkling Blanc de Noir is our first attempt at a “serious sparkling” for the last few decades. We venture off the valley floor for this wine, and carefully select parcels of Upper Yarra Valley Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Being a Blanc de Noir, Pinot Noir is the dominant variety, and along with this comes the fruit power and mid palate. A smattering of Chardonnay heaps the wines spine and draws out the finish. Handpicked fruit was gently whole bunch pressed, and the base wine was fermented in its bottle in the “traditionnelle” method. The wine has over four years on lees prior to disgorging, then some time on cork before release.

The base wine was fermented in stainless steel, prior to bottle fermentation. The wine spent over 7 years on lees in bottle.

Nose: A complex nose with rhubarb/apple crumble, faint strawberries, and demerara sugar. Yeast autolysis scents of pastry and hazelnut nougat. Background development aromas of toast and honey/bee’s wax.

Palate: Mouth filling mousse on entry precedes a creamy and rich palate. The wine is generous, complex, and layered. Balanced sugar and fine phenolics tighten the finish and extend the length.

Although a cool vintage, a rich and expressive sparkling with a strong family resemblance to the 2016 wine.

Tirage Date: December 2017
First Disgorgement Date: April 2025
Peak Drinking: Drink now to enjoy vibrant varietal flavours, or allow depth and complexity to grow over the next three to five years or so.