The One Grand Reserve

This wine, which is reserved just for Noble Ridge’s wine club, is 78% Chardonnay and 22% Pinot Noir. The grapes were whole cluster pressed and the wine was fermented cool. It spent 66 months en tirage. Citrus and green apple mingle with brioche in the aroma. On the palate, there is a medley of complex flavours, including apple, pear, biscuit and almond. The mousse gives the wine a creamy texture but the finish is crisply dry.

A clear pale straw/lemon colour with a Brioche aroma and subtle flavours of green apple, Meyer lemon, and toasty notes. The palate has a generous texture with very good length and tiny bubbles that go on forever! The Noble Ridge ‘The One’ 2017 was an outstanding wine; the bubbles became even softer with additional time, and the Grand Reserve is amazing.

Mostly Chardonnay (78%) with 22% Pinot Noir, this beauty is made in the traditional method, the same way Champagne is made in France. It spends a mighty 66 months en tirage (on the yeast), a process that gives it rich toasty, nutty, baking spice flavours and aromas. There are generous hints of orange and honey, too. This wine was reserved for wine club members only but has recently been released to the public. I liked this wine by itself, serve chilled, but it would be beautiful served with oysters, smoked salmon or simple seafood appetizers. It also has plenty of heft to be a main-course wine. I’d love to try it again with roast turkey this fall at Thanksgiving.