How are Castle Glen Vineyard Sparkling Wines different from other commercially produced Sparkling Wines?
Castle Glen Sparkling Wines are different for a variety of reasons. As discussed in both April and May's Newsletters, it is a combination of careful management of all of our practices that allows Castle Glen to achieve a preservative free wine.
Our Sparkling Wines need to be produced in the same way as our wine. The wine we have created, without preservatives, is what becomes our beautiful Sparkling Wines. Every vintage, we put aside Chardonnay and Semillon wine, the two wine varieties used in our White Sparkling Wines and we choose a red each vintage dependant on quality and taste of the finished still wine for our Red Sparkling Wines.
What is the difference between Sparkling Wine and Champagne? Castle Glen Vineyard's Sparkling Wines are made in the traditional French method - "Methode Champenoise". They are in fact a true Champagne, not a Sparkling Wine. There is much derision amongst Australian Winemakers because our government signed away the rights to the use of the word 'Champagne'. It is argued that Champagne is a provence in France, which it is, where a traditional style of wine with bubbles is made. This wine is made in a particular method - known as 'Methode Champenoise' - that unfortunately is not used to make the wine with bubbles in most of the world today. Today, in many wineries, machines are being used to make the bubbles, not bottle fermentation which is explained below - this is one of the issues that France objected to, understandably, as a bottle of Champagne, Methode Champenoise, is very time consuming to make, 4 - 12 years and labour intensive. Generally speaking Sparkling Wines are not Champagne unless they have been made in the traditional French 'Methode Champenoise' and the same bottle is used throughout the process that the customer finally pours a glass of Champagne from. These are clear distinctions between Sparkling Wine and Champagne.
The most common style of sparkling wine is a blend of several grape varieties and sometimes vintages in order to produce a consistent product from year to year, known as non-vintage sparkling. Sparkling wine made with grapes from one single year is known as vintage sparkling.
Castle Glen Vineyard's Sparkling Wines are Vintage Sparkling Wines - this means the wine used is from a single vintage (year) not a blend of vintages (years).
How is Sparkling Wine created? The first stage of making a sparkling wine is to produce a base wine (no bubbles) and as with all wine making, the quality and condition of the fruit has a big impact on the quality of the final product. Following the first alcoholic fermentation, we use a base wine of vintage Chardonnay, for the White Sparkling Wine, Brut and Cuvee, until the desired style has been created. This process generally takes place in stainless steel tanks and then the second stage, where the bubbles are created through a secondary fermentation, occurring in the bottle.
The traditional method - 'Methode Champenoise' - of producing sparkling wines is also the most time consuming and expensive. A mixture of sugar, yeast and wine is added to the blended wine which is then divided into individual bottles. These bottles are then sealed with an interim crown seal and a second alcoholic fermentation takes place in the bottle. The fermentation process generates carbon dioxide which dissolves into the wine under pressure and creates the all important bubbles.
Following this secondary fermentation, the wine is matured in the bottle on the yeast lees adding character to the sparkling wine. The length of the storage on yeast lees or ageing varies depending on the desired wine style and quality. Eventually the lees are removed from the bottle using a process known as riddling - at Castle Glen this is done by hand. This riddling process is completed three times a year over a number of years. This can be anything from 4 - 8 years. Mechanised machinery now has the process down to around ten days.
Once the riddling - shaking down, has been completed the removal of this sediment, yeast lees, is known as disgorgement. The cap of the inverted bottle, the crown seal is removed and the lees ejected. At Castle Glen the riddling and the disgorgement process is completed by hand, not machines.
This final Sparkling Wine is known as Brut - a dry style of Sparkling Wine. The Brut Sparkling Wine is then topped with wine of the same vintage. The Sparkling Wine is now ready to add a cork, cage, foil and label.
To make a sweeter Sparkling Wine, known as Cuvee, a Wine Liqueur, is used to sweeten the Sparkling Wine. A Wine Liqueur is made by heating the wine reducing it to a thick consistency, like syrup. This is then added to the Sparkling Wine.
At this stage we also add the 24kt Gold to make Castle Glen's famous Sparkling Wine, Cuvee with 24kt Gold.
At Castle Glen we then mature the wine for another two years, to develop the wine. The wine is now ready for sale at our Cellar Door. This method produces a finer, softer bead in the finished wine.
As mentioned there are a number of methods for making Sparkling Wines and the two listed below, Transfer and Charmat are what is commonly used in the wine industry. These Sparkling Wines are not of the same quality as a hand-made Sparkling Wine - 'Methode Champenoise' - and a tell tale sign is the sale price.
The Transfer method follows the same path as the Traditional Method up until the end of the secondary fermentation in bottle. At this point, the bottles are opened under pressure and emptied into a tank, allowing the wine to be fined and filtered en masse and then re-bottled ready for shipping. This process saves considerable time and expense but eliminates the benefits of ageing on yeast lees which adds to the complexity and character of the wine - this method does not produce Champagne. The consumer is not drinking from the same bottle that the Sparkling Wine was made in!
The Charmat Method involves a secondary fermentation in a specially designed pressure tank. The wine is fined and filtered under pressure and can be bottled as little as three months after the fruit has been harvested. The obvious advantage to making sparkling wine this way, is the lower cost and quicker time to market, however you may notice this style of sparkling wine is more likely to taste like still wine with bubbles as it has not gained the benefits from fermenting in the bottle. This is carbonated sparkling wine.
At Castle Glen we do not employ the Transfer or Charmat Method. Our Sparkling Wines are handmade using the French 'Methode Champenoise' - indicated by their quality and price.
Castle Glen also produces a Cabernet Sauvignon (Oaked) Sparkling Wine - this is the only one of its type in Australia. We also produce a rich, full bodied Shiraz Sparkling Wine, this most unusual sparkling wine style belongs to Australia.
Each year we set aside wine from each of our grape varieties to make a truly great Sparkling Wine.
As with all Castle Glen Vineyard Wines there is a great deal of dedication, time, money and patience that goes into making a great preservative free Castle Glen Sparkling Wine.
Castle Glen Sparkling Wines - Wonderful, Healthy Sparkling Wines
