Silver Heights 'Bloom' Sparkling 2023 | Ningxia, China

A unique Champagne style sparkling wine from China, made using a small amount of Ningxia Rice Wine for dosage. 

Both fruity and floral with notes of peach, pear and orange blossom with notes of rose water. Dry but not too dry with a touch of sweetness and a complex, spicy finish. Super interesting wine.

Producer: Silver Heights

Region: Helan Mountains, Ningxia, China

Grapes: Chardonnay / Pinot Noir, (dosage: Ningxia Rice Wine)

TASTING NOTES

Fragrant aromatics of pink blossoms, banana flower, honeydew, rose water, and fresh fruit.

Sweet fruited in flavour, with ripe melon, golden peaches and stone fruit, Bosc pear, an almost nutty toasted rice character, and a spicy earthiness.

Light and fresh on the palate, vibrant in texture from with small, energetic bubbles that dance on the tongue, and balanced between bright acidity and a gentle off-dry sweetness. Finishes clean, with a lingering rice husk character.

Serve with light bites - think brunch, afternoon tea, or yum cha; pairing with spicy Southeast Asian food, barbequed seafood, or Yakatori. 

NERD NOTES

Grown on the eastern slopes of the Helan Mountains, in Ningxia, China.

Vineyards are some of the highest in China, at 1,200 metres in altitude, cultivated with organic and biodynamic methods (Demeter certified).

Varieties: 80% Chardonnay, 12% Pinot Noir, and 8% Ningxia Rice Wine.

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are vinified separately in tanks, undergoing spontaneous fermentation with in wild yeasts, with the Chardonnay seeing an extended skin maceration.

The varietal wines are blended together along with a touch of fresh, off-dry rice wine used to supercharge the secondary fermentation in bottle.