New Zealand’s most classy sparkling wines are made by the classic technique called méthode traditionnelle, in which the second, bubblecreating fermentation takes place not in a tank, as with cheaper wines, but in the bottle itself, as in champagne (the real stuff, from the world’s most famous wine region).
During the wine’s lengthy maturation in the bottle (from nine months to several years), the yeast cells gradually decompose, conferring distinctive, bready, yeasty characters on the wine that add greatly to its complexity and richness.
The quality of afine sparkling wine also reflects the standard of its base wine. Pinot noir and chardonnay, both varieties of pivotal importance in champagne, are the foundation of New Zealand’s top bubblies. Marlborough and Central Otago’s incisive fruit flavours and lively acidity have attracted locally owned producers as well as several overseascontrolled companies.
7th Heaven Central Otago Méthode Traditionnelle 2018
Grown and hand-picked at Bannockburn, this lively wine is worth discovering and is drinking well now. Made from pinot noir, it was bottlefermented and disgorged after maturing on its yeast lees for more than four years. Still very vigorous, it has deep straw colour with a strong surge of peachy, toasty, yeasty flavours. Crisp and dry, with
