To celebrate the name change from Montana to Brancott Estate and to continue the brands pioneering spirit, two new sparkling wines will be released in the Brancott Estate Reserve range this month in the New Zealand market.
Brancott Estate Reserve Sparkling Pinot Noir and Brancott Estate Reserve Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc join the current Brut Cuvée and Rosé in the range. At the same time, the brand will be presented in newly designed packaging.
Brancott Estate wines are named in honour of our original Marlborough vineyard, Brancott Vineyard, where Montana first pioneered New Zealand’s flagship varietal Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
Brancott Estate Reserve Sparkling Pinot Noir presents a fresh take on Pinot Noir. While the variety is a classic component of méthode traditionnelle wines, sparkling red wine is a rarity in New Zealand.
“The wine shows lifted blackberry, boysenberry and raspberry aromas one expects of good Pinot Noir,” says Brancott Estate chief winemaker Patrick Materman. “The palate also shows typical intense flavours of cherries and plums, and the sparkling nature enhances these red fruit characters. This adds a new element to the enjoyment of Pinot Noir. The finish is soft and fleshy, packed with berry fruit.”
While sparkling Sauvignon Blanc wines have proven popular in New Zealand recently, this is the first time that the creators of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc have released a sparkling version of the varietal they originally planted at Brancott Vineyard in the 1970s. The new release Brancott Estate Reserve Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc has the further distinction that its still counterpart, Brancott Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, is New Zealand’s most popular Sauvignon Blanc.
“Brancott Estate Reserve Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc is a new take on this classic style,” says Patrick. “Presenting Sauvignon Blanc as a sparkling wine is part of our ongoing discovery of the wonderful qualities the variety attains in Marlborough.”
The new wine is crafted from vibrant Sauvignon Blanc grapes sourced from vineyards in Marlborough. The wine exhibits aromas of vibrant passionfruit and ripe tropical fruit, with stone fruit flavours on the palate.
Brancott Estate Reserve Sparkling Pinot Noir and Brancott Estate Reserve Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc will be on sale in New Zealand from early October.
Along with the release of these two new wines, Brancott Estate Reserve Brut Cuvée and Rosé will also be dressed in the new-look packaging. The four sparkling wines in the Brancott Estate Reserve range have a recommended retail price of $23.95.
Brancott Estate – Official Sponsor of Rugby World Cup 2011