This is “POP or FLOP”, where we taste test sparkling wines so you don’t have to! (Tough job, we know! 😉) This week we’re sipping the soon-to-be-released 2011 Stardust Brut Cuvée from Rosehall Run in Prince Edward County! This méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine is a blend of estate grown Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, and was inspired by David Bowie's alter ego Ziggy Stardust! ✨ How cool is that?! So, is this County sparkler a bottle of bubbles you should POP? 💁 Or is it a FLOP? 🙅 Let’s see…
Dan Sullivan and his family selected the location of Rosehall Run in Prince Edward County in the early 2000’s because of its proximity to Lake Ontario and the remarkable Hillier clay soil, which is scattered with numerous rock and shale fragments on a limestone base. This soil is similar in composition to the soils of the Champagne region in France, so it’s no wonder that the vineyards yield the perfect Pinot Noir and Chardonnay to make beautiful and complex sparkling wines!
As luck would have it, Rosehall Run has taken full advantage of this to produce their first vintage dated traditional method sparkler – Stardust! 😍 A blend of their estate grown Pinot Noir (55%) and Chardonnay (45%), both wines were barrel fermented individually and aged in old French oak 500L puncheons for a year before being blended and bottled for their secondary fermentation. The wine was aged sur lie for half a decade (!) before disgorgement, where no sugar was added to the dosage, resulting in a brut zero bottling. Now let's taste, shall we?!
Appearance 👀
- A luxe golden colour, with an extremely vibrant fine effervescence – you might say almost "stardust" like. 😉✨
Aroma 👃
- Even though this wine saw extended lees aging of 5 years, there is still a lovely freshness on the nose that compliments the autolytic character very well. Notes of fleshy white peach, apricot, toast, caramel apple, lemon peel, and almond paste, with a chalky minerality.
Flavour 👅
- The age of the wine is much more apparent on the palate, with a lovely creamy mouth-feel as a result of the extended aging sur lie. Complex, and driven by the distinctive County minerality, the palate is bursting with baked apple, butter pastry, lemon, dried apricot, and tart white currant. Medium bodied, with a vibrant acidity and a crisp lingering finish.
Food Pairing 🍽
- The lively effervescence, creamy mouthfeel, and distinctive mineral character of this sparkler got us thinkin' seafood all day! 😍 Buttery lobster, scallops, PEI oysters, ...we could go on and on! It would also be divine with a cheeseboard filled with rich, soft cheeses alongside a fresh baguette.
The Verdict? 💁
- It’s … a POP! We're suckers for a complex, extended lees aged sparkling wine, and the Stardust is as enchanting as Ziggy himself! It's rich and complex, with vibrant acidity, making it a diverse and delicious food wine. Or do what we like to do... pair it with a second glass! 😉 The County terroir is perfectly suited for sparkling, and we're thrilled to see more traditional method wines come out of the region. Try tasting it alongside sparkling from other parts of Ontario, or the world. You'll see why County sparkling is so unique! The Stardust will be released for sale at the winery in Spring 2018, so keep your eyes peeled on Rosehall Run's website and social media accounts in the coming months!
PSST! A little birdy told us that Rosehall Run juuuust might be pouring complimentary samples of Stardust at the winery on December 30th from 11am – 5pm to celebrate New Year's Eve! So if you're out in The County you most definitely don't wanna miss tasting this special wine ahead of its release! Tell 'em the Sparkling Winos sent ya! 😜
Rosehall Run 2011 Stardust Brut Cuvée
$49.95
About the Author
