INTRODUCING!!! SARACEN ESTATES 1ST VINTAGE OF SPARKLING!!!
GET READY TO POP FOR THIS FESTIVE SEASON!!!
2009 Sparkling Maree
80% Chardonnay 20% Pinot
This is a bubbly that even the French would be proud of! Made using the “Method Traditional” technique, this wine has spent 24 months aging on lees. This style of wine is clean and refreshing with a delicate nose. It has vibrant green apple fruit characteristics delicately interwoven with very fine mousse and a creamy complex yeast. This wine has plenty of potential to age nicely. A perfect match for some fresh oysters.
"Method Traditional" is the process used in France to produce the sparkling wine known as Champagne, named after the region. It used to be known as "methode champenoise" but that term is restricted for use only for wines from that region.
First a high quality, dry white wine is made (Chardonnay & Pinot) with primary tank fermentation, our base wine was barrel fermented (for the fermentation and a little bit of age - 5-6 months) as is done in some of the traditional champagne houses. Once complete it is placed into special heavyweight bottles and a fresh dose of yeast and sugar is added. Bottles are capped with a crown cap and stored in a cool cellar for up to 2 years. During this, secondary fermentation occurs and the yeasts and sugars create carbon dioxide gas which disolves into the liquid as it cannot escape.
A process known as "Remuage" or "Riddling" removes the dead yeast cells or lees, that collect in the bottle. Every day, each bottle is shaken lightly, turned just slightly and placed back in the "Pupitres"/special racks, at an increased angle (from 45degrees), so that over the course of a few weeks, the bottle ends up-side-down with the lees settling in the neck of the bottle. After the required aging, the inverted bottles are taken to a freezing tank where the necks are dipped in to the level of sediment. This freezes the plug of dead yeast cells. The crown caps are removed/"Disgorged", and the pressure shoots the plug out. A "Dosage" of reserved wine and sugar is added, depending on the style; dry, medium or sweet, of sparkling being made, and the bottles are quickly corked, wired and the sparkling is complete. This method is long, expensive and labour intensive but it produces a sparkling with fine, persistent bubbles and creamy complexity on the palate.
2008 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
WINE OF THE YEAR, BEST CABERNET, Winestate Australia & NZ!!!
Best Cabernet with TOP GOLD & TROPHY, Winewise Small Vignerons Awards 2011 GOLD MEDAL, Small Winemakers Show 2011
Silver Medal, Boutique Wine Awards 2011
4 Stars (in the $70 class), Winestate Magazine
4.5 Stars (in the New Release Tasting), Winestate Magazine
After taking out the title of ” Best Cabernet in Margaret River” with our 2007 Reserve, the 2008 always had some big shoes to fill. Coloured brick red with deep purple hues, the wine has aromas of lifted ripe dark berry fruits. The nose is completed with hints of French oak and vanilla bean. It is a well structured wine of medium intensity. Hints of blackberry, mulberry and blackcurrant dance in harmony with a combination of brand new and one year old classic French barriques. This wine has been aged for 21 months in oak and will develop further with medium term cellaring. Try with something hearty and extravagant like venison ragout.
2009 Reserve Shiraz
5 STARS, Winestate Magazine
Our Shiraz has now become one of the true "regional classics". Our handpicked, hand plunged Shiraz is sure to tempt. Deep, dark shades of purple and red are music to the eyes. The wine has aromas of black forest cake, layers of assorted berries, rich chocolate and a faint smoky cigar box scent. The palate is beautifully balanced with rich, dense berry fruits and a lovely textured oak finish. The wine spent 21 months in brand new French oak barriques and will age nicely over the next 10 years.
Matched with venison and meaty dishes, this wine is perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon, Slow-Roast Lamb-Leg.
Cellar life can endure 10 years or more.
2010 Rose SOLD OUT!!!
Silver Medal, QANTAS Wine Show of WA 2010
Silver Medal, TOP OF CLASS, 2010 Sheraton Wine Awards 2010
Delicate fuchsia pink in colour, with a soft perfume of raspberries, cherries and sweet violets, this wine presents a palate of sweet raspberry fruit characters and a fresh clean zingy finish on the late palate. A light refreshing drink which should be served chilled as an appetiser or with a spicey Thai dish.