2011

Johanne Ida Selma Blanc de Noir MD

Australia, South Australia, Barossa

$60 AUD

Release Price

2011-

Drink Window

ABV

3.06

pH

6.85

TA

8.4

RS

From The Winemaker

In 1997, Stephen and Prue embarked on a journey to handcraft an ultra-premium 100% sparkling wine from pinot noir, in addition to their dry table wine, and selected only the best fruit from specific clones and sites suited for this purpose at the Henschke Lenswood vineyard in the Adelaide Hills. Purchased as an apple orchard in 1981, the 550m site offers higher rainfall and humidity at the right time of year, which together with the cooler temperatures provides ideal conditions for this cool-climate grape variety. The vineyard contains some of the oldest pinot noir vines in the Adelaide Hills.

Growing Conditions

Stephen and Prue Henschke, fifth-generation winemakers at the family cellars at Keyneton, selected Lenswood in 1981 as a vineyard site in the Adelaide Hills. At 550m, the Lenswood vineyards offer not only beautiful views over the traditional vine country but also higher rainfall and humidity at the right time of the year, cooler temperatures to retain high natural acidity, and still enough sunshine to fully ripen the grapes.

Nose

Intense aromas of biscuity brioche and cherry skin with nutty, creamy notes and spicy hints of clove and caraway.

Palate

A complex palate of yeasty and berry flavours, with textural finesse, a long, crisp finish and tight bead.

Appearance

Pale straw in colour.

Aging

The wine was subsequently bottle fermented and left on lees in bottle to age. Multiple vintages from 1997 to 2009 were combined in an assemblage-style blend in March 2011, as a mature disgorged non-vintage blanc de noir.

Past Vintages