De La Terre Cuvee II Methode Traditionnelle 2023

De La Terre Cuvee II Methode Traditionnelle
Made by Tony and Kaye Prichard at de la terre, Hawke's Bay's only earth brick winery, this traditional method sparkling spends two full years on lees in bottle, the tirage that gives Cuvee II its name. Hand picked from low yielding vines and made without shortcuts, it shows a pale lemon colour and a fine, persistent mousse, with green apple, stonefruit and citrus meeting bready, mineral notes drawn from the estate's limestone terroir. The palate arrives with real energy, a vibrant mix of fruit and yeast character carried by firm, fresh acidity through to a long, clean finish. Riddled by hand and disgorged with zero dosage, it is estate bottled and individually numbered. At 12.5% ABV, this is a serious, hands on expression of Hawke's Bay sparkling.

What the winery says: de la terre aims for three things with Cuvee II: freshness, fruit forward character, and bready notes that are noticeable but never dominant. The 2023 release is a very pale lemon colour with an elegant, persistent mousse, showing clean aromas of green apple, stonefruit and citrus alongside the mineral character typical of the estate's limestone soils. On the palate there is a strong initial burst of flavour, a vibrant balance of fruit and yeast influence, with firm, fresh acidity carrying the wine through to a long, clean finish.