2017 Meadowbank Blanc de Blancs, Derwent Valley

2017 marks the second release of Meadowbank’s Blanc de Blancs, a more than worthy follow-up to the excellent 2016. The source site remains the same; the Far Horse Vineyard block lies close to vines used for the Meadowbank Chardonnay. While the latter vines are exposed north, the Blanc de Blancs parcel faces south in a slightly cooler microclimate and the clone is I10V1.
 
2017 was a cooler year than 2016, a long and moderate season that turned out some amazingly pure Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The fruit was hand-picked, whole-cluster-pressed and just the first two-thirds were taken for fermentation in old barriques for three months—Peter Dredge also washed one new barrel with the sparkling base in 2017. The wine spent five years in bottle before release and was dosed with a low, four grams per litre when disgorged earlier in 2023.
 
A touch tighter in frame than the 2016 (no doubt a result of the cooler conditions), it’s a refined sparkling wine of citrussy vibrancy and salty undertones with balancing toasty richness. Sleek and textural, the bead is creamy and energetic, gifting a wine of captivating poise. It will get even better with a bit of time under cork.