Vintage 2022 Specialty Wines Disgorged
09/06/26
We are pleased to announce the disgorgement of the next suite of our specialty Karridale Blanc de Blancs from the outstanding 2022 vintage. Read more from winemaker Brendan Carr.
This release features two distinct clonal selections that follow in the footsteps of our 2021 releases, once again offering a compelling stylistic dichotomy of Chardonnay clonal character.
V22 Davis Clone – unmistakably Davis in character, with a taut acid line, pronounced citrus fruit profile and striking minerality.
V22 Bernard Clone – expressing a slightly sunnier fruit spectrum, with just-ripe orchard fruits, balanced acidity, and lovely texture and complexity derived from extended time on lees.
Following extended maturation on lees, both wines have now been disgorged and finished with bespoke dosage tailored to each wine. They will continue to develop beautifully over the next six months under cork, and we look forward to sharing these unique expressions of the 2022 vintage from our Karridale vineyard later on this year.
For those wondering why we have to wait to release these. . . Disgorgement and dosage can come as something of a shock to a wine. The lees are expelled, a small amount of oxygen is introduced, and the dosage liqueur is added. After these changes, the wine benefits from a period of rest 'under cork' to regain its composure and harmony.
For there is an important transition taking place. During lees ageing, the yeast lees are not only contributing texture and mouthfeel through autolysis, but also scavenging oxygen, creating a highly protective environment that preserves the freshness and vitality of the wine.
Once disgorged, the wine begins its next stage of evolution under cork. Unlike a crown seal, cork is gently permeable, allowing minute amounts of oxygen to interact with the wine over time. Yet without the protective presence of the lees, this slow exchange of oxygen, combined with contact with the cork, plus the addition of the dosage that slowly caramelises over time, all encourage the development of the complex tertiary characteristics that make mature sparkling wine so captivating. . . Think notes of hazelnut, cocoa bean, truffle and buttered toast etc.
So, over the next six months, these emerging tertiary characters will gradually weave themselves around the primary fruit expression of our Karridale vineyard and the delicious, textural secondary complexities built over four years on lees through bottle fermentation (Méthode Traditionnelle), creating wines of increasing depth, nuance and intrigue.
Science, at times, can be delicious. Now we just have to hurry up and wait.
V22 Davis Clone – unmistakably Davis in character, with a taut acid line, pronounced citrus fruit profile and striking minerality.
V22 Bernard Clone – expressing a slightly sunnier fruit spectrum, with just-ripe orchard fruits, balanced acidity, and lovely texture and complexity derived from extended time on lees.
Following extended maturation on lees, both wines have now been disgorged and finished with bespoke dosage tailored to each wine. They will continue to develop beautifully over the next six months under cork, and we look forward to sharing these unique expressions of the 2022 vintage from our Karridale vineyard later on this year.
For those wondering why we have to wait to release these. . . Disgorgement and dosage can come as something of a shock to a wine. The lees are expelled, a small amount of oxygen is introduced, and the dosage liqueur is added. After these changes, the wine benefits from a period of rest 'under cork' to regain its composure and harmony.
For there is an important transition taking place. During lees ageing, the yeast lees are not only contributing texture and mouthfeel through autolysis, but also scavenging oxygen, creating a highly protective environment that preserves the freshness and vitality of the wine.
Once disgorged, the wine begins its next stage of evolution under cork. Unlike a crown seal, cork is gently permeable, allowing minute amounts of oxygen to interact with the wine over time. Yet without the protective presence of the lees, this slow exchange of oxygen, combined with contact with the cork, plus the addition of the dosage that slowly caramelises over time, all encourage the development of the complex tertiary characteristics that make mature sparkling wine so captivating. . . Think notes of hazelnut, cocoa bean, truffle and buttered toast etc.
So, over the next six months, these emerging tertiary characters will gradually weave themselves around the primary fruit expression of our Karridale vineyard and the delicious, textural secondary complexities built over four years on lees through bottle fermentation (Méthode Traditionnelle), creating wines of increasing depth, nuance and intrigue.
Science, at times, can be delicious. Now we just have to hurry up and wait.
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