Nautilus Estate Vintage Rosé 2021 750ml

Nautilus Estate Vintage Rosé 2021 is a bottle-fermented sparkling rosé from Nautilus Estate in Marlborough, made from 100% Dijon clone Pinot Noir off a single vineyard. It spent around two and a half years on lees before disgorging in May 2024, and sits at 12% ABV.

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The grapes were picked by hand, chilled overnight, then destemmed the next morning and pressed. Pressing drew only a little colour from the dark Pinot Noir skins, which is why the wine is a pale salmon pink rather than deep rosé. The juice was fermented dry and left on its yeast lees through a full malolactic fermentation, which softens the acidity and adds texture. It was bottled in November 2021 for its second fermentation and then aged on tirage, the time the wine spends resting on its yeast in bottle, until May 2024.

That long lees time is where the wine gets its satin texture and its touch of brioche. This vintage rosé sits alongside Nautilus’s non-vintage Cuvée Brut. Being a single-vintage, single-vineyard wine, it shows the 2021 season rather than a blended house style. It suits Pinot Noir drinkers who want a dry, savoury sparkling rosé, and it gives anyone comparing local and French rosé a clear New Zealand example.

Nautilus Estate’s own tasting notes:

Nose: Fresh raspberry, white peach and rose petal, with a hint of spice and a touch of brioche.

Palate: Finely balanced, with depth, weight and a satin texture.

Finish: Elegant and harmonious.

Serve it chilled at 8 to 10°C in a tulip glass. It works with salmon canapés, prawns, tuna tartare or a soft goat’s cheese, and has enough weight for a roast chicken lunch.