Winemaking and Aging:
55% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 5% Pinot Meunier. The grapes were hand-picked into small 40kg crates with careful bunch selection in the vineyard. The Chardonnay whole cluster grapes were immediately pressed while the red grapes are cold soaked for 24 hours being pressing. From harvest to pressing, extreme care is used in handling the grapes to avoid any excessive crushing or bruising. Only the first most delicate pressing, called the Cuvée, is used. 5% of the Pinot Noir juice is barrel fermented in used French oak. The base wine was bottled June 2015.
Secondary fermentation took place in bottle as per the traditional Méthode Champenoise. The wine was left in bottle with the lees for a minimum of 3.5 years in the underground cellar at Chateau Frank. Each bottle is individually disgorged, corked, crowned, and labeled by hand. The month of disgorgement is listed on the back of each bottle.
The Wine:
Young and alive, the aromas jump out of the glass expressing baked red apple, ginger, lemon curd, wild flowers, apricot and biscuit notes. Bright lemon-driven acidity and very fine mousse leaves a creamy mouthfeel and a very long finish.
Style: Dry
Body: Medium bodied
Food Pairing:
Oysters, Lobster, Fried Foods, Sushi, Chinese cuisine (especially with seafood), Eggs and Egg dishes, Salmon (smoked)
Alcohol: 11.6%
Acidity: 10.5 g/L