Ben Haines - "Blanc De Now" Pet Nat Undisgorged Steels Creek Yarra Valley Victoria 2021 750ml (12% abv)

Not your classic Champagne. Or is it? Produced using the ancient French “Methode Ancestral”, bottle fermented, with the yeast lees kept in the bottle. Expect cloudiness and high levels of character and complexity.

Undisgorged Blanc de Noir produced with 100% Pinot Noir from a small single vineyard in Steels Creek, Yarra Valley. Very dry, yet balanced by a velour lees texture imparted from three years in contact with the lees in bottle.

Crystalline acidity woven throughout tart yet delicate apple and green strawberry fruits, fully integrated with autolytic characters of roasted nuts and shortbread. Lightly floral, with a pervasive streak of umami. 

vineyard info -

Steels Creek, Yarra Valley, Victoria
Nine One Six Vineyard
5 acres, 100% Pinot Noir, Mixed Clones
Practicing organic 
Planted in 1990’s, recovered from the 2009 fires, now reaching new heights of quality

label artwork info -

Sophie La Maitre, AUS

Perth based Sophie La Maitre’s beautifully toned and textured paintings are centred in a deep fascination for the unremarkable and unnoticed. These abstract paintings reflect an intense engagement with the surroundings of daily life and express her appreciation of quietude.
A graduate of Edith Cowan University with Honours, Sophie has exhibited regularly in solo and group exhibitions. She has been selected for a number of awards, including the Joondalup Community Art Award and Ellenbrook Swan Art Award. She has also undertaken a number of residencies and her work is held in private collections across Australia.

Producer Info -

Ben Haines, a boutique winemaker from Victoria's Yarra Valley, is renowned for his commitment to crafting terroir-driven wines sourced from select vineyards boasting what he calls "magic dirt." With a background at esteemed estates like Yering Station and Mount Langi Ghiran, Ben brings a wealth of experience and a meticulous approach to winemaking. Based in Melbourne, he traverses Victoria to curate wines that capture the essence of each unique terroir. Championing minimal intervention, Ben's wines are distinguished by their textured, low-alcohol profiles and a kaleidoscope of aromas, reflecting the diverse landscapes of Victoria.

region: Victoria, Australia

varietal: Pinot Noir

style: sparkling blanc de noir (ancestral method)

farming/cellar: practicing organic, hand-picked and whole bunch pressed to neutral barrique barrels for ambient fermentation and full MLF. Raised on gross lees in full barrique barrels with zero added SO2. Tiraged without any added SO2, then laid in the dark on lees for a further period. Riddled, labelled and packed undisgorged

pairing