Sittella Grand Vintage Blanc De Blanc 2016

*If being purchased as an individual gift then it comes supplied in a gift box with reb ribbon

Awards and Accolades

Trophy: Best Sparkling Wine 2022 Perth Royal Wine Awards

Selected as the finest sparkling wine entered in one of Western Australia’s most important wine competitions.

Best Sparkling Wine 2022 Swan Valley Wine Show

Recognised as the leading Western Australian sparkling wine entered in the show.

Gold Medal and 95 Points

2021 Australian Sparkling Wine Show

Awarded 95 points in a strong national class of traditional bottle-fermented sparkling wines aged between 24 and 60 months on tirage.

95 Points Ray Jordan, The West Australian

Highly rated during Ray Jordan’s review of Sittella’s premium sparkling wine collection.

95 Points Barry Weinman, Weinman on Wine

Praised as a fine and refined sparkling wine with subtle power, impressive length, excellent balance and a beautifully dry finish.

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Light to medium straw with a fine and persistent bead.
• Aromatics: Lemon zest and citrus are layered with nougat, fresh toast, roasted nuts, subtle brioche and seasoned French oak.
• Palate: Bright and tightly structured, with lemon, oyster shell and saline flavours flowing through a creamy but precise palate.
• Texture: Sixty months on lees have created a fine mousse and gently creamy texture without taking away from the wine’s freshness.
• Acidity: Vibrant Pemberton acidity provides energy, definition and a mouthwatering quality.
• Finish: Long, dry and savoury, with lingering citrus, oyster brine, nougat and subtle roasted nuttiness.

Wine Details

• Vintage: 2016
• Variety: 100% Chardonnay
• Style: Grand Vintage Blanc de Blancs
• Region: Pemberton, Western Australia
• Method: Traditional bottle-fermented sparkling
• Harvesting: Handpicked
• Pressing: Whole-bunch pressed
• Press fraction: Only the finest cuvée juice was used
• Primary fermentation: Combination of wild and cultured yeast
• Oak fermentation: 72% in seasoned French oak puncheons and barriques
• Stainless steel fermentation: 28%
• Malolactic fermentation: Partial
• Time on lees: 60 months
• Disgorged: 28 July 2021
• Dosage: 5 g/L
• Alcohol: 12.5%
• pH: 3.11
• Acidity: 6.8 g/L
• Soil: Karri loam and ironstone
• Closure: Cork
• Winemakers: Colby Quirk and Yuri Berns
• Serving temperature: Approximately 8 to 10°C
• Drinking window: At its intended peak now

What Does Blanc de Blancs Mean?

Blanc de Blancs translates from French as “white from whites”.

In sparkling wine, it usually describes a wine made entirely from white grapes. This Sittella Grand Vintage is made from 100% Chardonnay, giving it a style built around citrus, minerality, acidity and finesse.

Chardonnay is particularly well suited to long lees ageing. Its natural acidity preserves freshness while time introduces more complex flavours of toast, brioche, nougat and roasted nuts.

Ten Years of Development

This wine began with Chardonnay harvested in Pemberton during the 2016 vintage.

Following its primary fermentation, the wine underwent its secondary fermentation in bottle and remained in contact with its yeast lees for 60 months. It was disgorged on 28 July 2021, removing the spent yeast before the bottle was sealed with its final cork.

It has since enjoyed more than five additional years of bottle maturation.

This extended development is important. It allows the fresh citrus and mineral characters of Chardonnay to gradually integrate with toast, nougat, nuts and other savoury flavours created through yeast ageing.

The result is a sparkling wine with far greater depth and complexity than a young, fruit-driven bottle of bubbles.

Winemaking

Only the best parcels of Chardonnay were selected for this Grand Vintage release.

The grapes were handpicked and whole-bunch pressed, a gentle process that limits harsh extraction from the skins, seeds and stems. Only the cuvée, the finest portion of juice from the pressing, was retained.

Primary fermentation used a combination of wild and cultured yeast. Wild yeast contributed savoury complexity, while selected yeast helped maintain precision and consistency.

Seventy-two per cent of the juice was transferred directly from the press into seasoned French oak puncheons and barriques. Because these barrels had already held wine, they contributed texture, gentle oxygen exposure and subtle nutty complexity without introducing dominant new-oak flavour.

The remaining 28% was fermented in stainless steel, where partial malolactic fermentation softened some of the wine’s sharper acidity and added further texture.

Following blending and bottling, secondary fermentation took place inside the bottle. The wine then remained on its yeast lees for 60 months before disgorgement.

A restrained dosage of 5 g/L was added at disgorgement. This maintains balance while preserving the very dry, citrus-driven and saline style of the finished wine.

Serving and Cellaring

Serve Sittella Grand Vintage Blanc de Blancs 2016 at approximately 8 to 10°C.

A small white wine glass or tulip-shaped sparkling glass is recommended. A very narrow flute may preserve bubbles, but it can restrict the wine’s aromas and hide some of its mature toast, nougat and nutty complexity.

Allow the bottle to stand upright before opening and pour it gently. Giving the wine a few minutes in the glass will allow its more savoury characters to emerge.

This sparkling has now reached the end of the winery’s original recommended drinking window. It remains fresh and structured, but its greatest appeal now is the balance between mature complexity and lingering acidity.

It is best enjoyed now rather than being placed into long-term storage.

Food Pairing Suggestions

• Freshly shucked oysters: The winery’s recommended pairing. Oyster brine naturally mirrors the wine’s saline and mineral characters.
• Grilled scallops: Sweet scallop meat works beautifully with the wine’s citrus acidity, creamy texture and subtle toasted nuttiness.
• Western Australian crayfish: Serve simply with lemon, herbs or a light butter sauce.
• Tempura whiting or prawns: Bright acidity refreshes the palate and balances the richness of fried batter.
• Smoked salmon: The wine’s lemon, toast and savoury yeast characters complement smoked or cured fish.
• Triple-cream Brie: Creamy cheese softens the acidity while matching the wine’s lees-derived texture.
• Salted chips: A simple but excellent pairing, with salt and crisp texture highlighting the wine’s dryness and fine bubbles.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Blanc de Blancs a grape variety?

No. Blanc de Blancs is a sparkling wine term meaning “white from whites”.

This particular wine is made entirely from Chardonnay.

Is this Champagne?

No. Champagne can only come from the Champagne region of France.

This wine comes from Pemberton in Western Australia, but it is made using the traditional bottle-fermented method associated with high-quality Champagne and premium Australian sparkling wine.

What does traditional method mean?

Traditional method sparkling undergoes its second fermentation inside the individual bottle.

This second fermentation creates the bubbles. The wine then remains in contact with the yeast lees, allowing it to develop greater texture and flavours such as toast, brioche, nougat and roasted nuts.

What does 60 months on lees mean?

After secondary fermentation, the wine remained in the bottle with its spent yeast cells for five years.

This extended contact creates finer bubbles, a creamier texture and greater savoury complexity than would usually be found in younger sparkling wine.

What is cuvée juice?

During pressing, different portions of juice are extracted from the grapes.

The cuvée is the finest and most delicate portion. Using only this juice helps create a sparkling wine with purity, elegance and minimal harshness.

Is this sparkling wine sweet?

No. It has a dosage of only 5 g/L and tastes distinctly dry.

The dosage balances the wine’s firm acidity without covering its lemon, mineral and saline characters.

Why was some of the wine fermented in oak?

Seasoned French oak added texture and subtle flavours of toast and nuts without making the wine taste heavily oaked.

Because the barrels were not new, their influence is gentle and integrated.

Is a 2016 sparkling wine too old?

No. This wine was deliberately made for extended maturation.

It spent five years ageing on lees before being disgorged in July 2021, followed by more than five years of development under cork. Its age is one of its greatest attractions, bringing complexity that cannot be found in young sparkling wine.

Should I cellar it further?

This wine is now at its intended peak and is best enjoyed rather than stored indefinitely.

Its acidity remains lively, but the mature toast, nougat and nutty characters are already beautifully developed.

What glass should I use?

A small white wine glass or tulip-shaped sparkling glass is ideal.

These shapes provide enough room for its mature aromas to open while still helping preserve the bubbles.

 
 
 
 
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