Ash Ridge Ariel Hawke’s Bay Blanc de Blanc 2018 $45 
This classy Blanc de Blanc (100% Chardonnay), was crafted in the traditional vintage Champagne method where the initial base wine was barrel fermented and left on lees for 1 year before being bottled and re-fermented to build its ultra-fine mousse (bubbles), and then left again on its bottle lees for another 18 months. Finally the bottles were riddled, disgorged and dosaged, before the cork, cage, foil and label were finally applied. Quite a long winded process but the result is definitely worth the wait. Rich, lemony and textural with nuttiness, splashes of shortbread and bold, bready, biscuity complexity, this is an elegantly built bubbles that’ll suit any celebration.
http://www.ashridgewines.co.nz
