Wines

Bress wines are produced from grapes that have been grown using biodynamic farming practices.  This fruit is then handcrafted to reflect the varietal characters and the sense of place that each parcel of fruit expresses.

NV Silver Chook Macedon Pinot Noir Chardonnay Sparkling

The Name

Whilst living and winemaking in the Yarra Valley, I discovered the joys of breeding and showing chickens.  This passion led me to visit France in 1996 to witness first hand their traditional methods of breeding chickens and I dedicate our wines to the famous chickens of France and what they represent – artisan production using traditional, age old methods.

 The Vineyard

 The fruit for this Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend was selected from two vineyards situated in Australia’s coolest mainland grape growing region, Macedon.  Macedon is quietly building a growing reputation for producing some of the finer sparkling and table wines using Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Both vineyards are trellised using the Vertical Shoot Positioning system and both viticulturists under my supervision use traditional viticultural techniques of organics and crop thinning to produce crops of less than 2.0 tonnes to the acre. 

Winemaking

My winemaking belief is that good fruit should be treated gently and with minimal intervention.  The Bress Macedon NV Pinot Noir Chardonnay Sparkling was treated in this manner.  All fruit was whole bunch pressed and the free run juice fermented in stainless steel and the pressings fermented in old oak hogsheads.  Fermentation was slow and was initiated by indigenous yeast strains. Post fermentation the various cuvees were blended to achieve a blend of approximately 72% Pinot Noir and 28% Chardonnay.  Second fermentation was undertaken in a Charmat pressure tank.  Post second fermentation the wine was filtered and bottled under pressure.

             This Bress Macedon Pinot Noir Chardonnay Sparkling was bottled using a crown seal closure. 

Using a crown seal closure is our attempt to ensure that our wine is presented free of cork characters (good or bad) and that the full aroma and flavour of this wine is expressed.  

 Tasting Notes

 Colour:  A light golden straw with fine bead issuing from a clean sparkling flute.

Aroma:  The wine offers a complex array of both fruit and secondary aromas of strawberry, confection and citrus complimented by yeasty and bready characters.  

Palate:  The wine is tightly packed full of fruit and secondary flavours.  There is a creaminess that is conferred by the carbonation and gives the wine freshness, balance and a long savoury richness. 

Whilst enjoyable now, this wine will reward careful cellaring for up to 3 years.