2025 'Annabelle' Crémant de Rosé

SNAPSHOT

• Style: Vintage sparkling rosé in the Crémant de Bordeaux style — crisp, delicate, fruit-driven yet savoury
• Dosage: 1 g/L
• Vegan: Very lightly fined with Bentonite
• Alc: 13.3%
• Cases produced: 660

HERITAGE

Annabelle is a vintage sparkling rosé crafted in the Crémant de Bordeaux style — think Louis Vallon Crémant which won the Best Bordeaux wine at the 2020 Paris Wine Cup. It is well balanced, with crisp acidity, delicate length and a fruit-driven yet savoury profile. Notes of strawberry, cherry ripe, lime and rose petal

Named after one of our granddaughters, Annabelle. This sparkling wine is full of energy and always on the go.

TERROIR

Ultra-cool inland site above Rylstone at ~650 m ASL, on Ordovician (~450 Myr) limestone reef with shallow sandy / sandy-loam soils. Low soil heat retention and valley cold-air pooling create effective night-time temperatures like ~1,200–1,300 m, preserving natural acidity, perfume and delicate red-fruit line. Continental rhythm: budburst late Sept/Oct; veraison Jan/Feb; harvest Mar/Apr. Estate planted 1998 by Richard & Janet de Beaurepaire.

VINTAGE & VINEYARD

Season 2025: A late, balanced cool-climate vintage with steady ripening and excellent acid retention. After the challenges of 2024, the season delivered cleaner fruit, better line and strong natural acidity — ideal for a dry, savoury sparkling rosé. Careful canopy management was essential to maintain airflow and fruit quality through the season.

Blocks / Clones: Cabernet Sauvignon CW44 from B Block, Merlot D3V14 from B Block, plus Petit Verdot; average vine age ~25 years.

Harvest: Individually selected parcels harvested by a mix of hand and machine picking between 26 February (Merlot) and 6 March (Cabernet). Yield: ~6 t/ha.

WINEMAKING

The fruit was 100% destemmed and very gently pressed to retain premium free-run juice — the cuvée. Primary fermentation at 15 °C was conducted in steel tank using native wild yeasts, delivering beautiful primary fruit characters. The wine underwent full malolactic fermentation to produce mouthfeel and richness. Very light fining. Tank fermented.

Analysis at disgorgement: Alc: 13.3% pH: 3.20 TA: 5.7 g/L Dosage: 1 g/L

TASTING

Colour: pale salmon-pink with a fine, persistent bead.

Bouquet: strawberry, cherry, rose petal, a hint of lime and delicate toast.
Palate: dry, crisp and savoury — red berries and citrus lift over a creamy, lees-shaped texture. Fine bubbles, bright acidity and a thirst-quenching finish with lingering strawberry and cherry-pip notes.

FOOD & SERVICE

A sparkling rosé built for flavour. Excellent with sushi, smoked salmon, prawns, charcuterie, duck, chicken, pork, soft cheeses, Persian saffron rice, Korean BBQ-style dishes, smoky vegan salmon, sticky rice and garlic-sweet chilli stir-fries.

Serve: 8 °C / 47 °F in tulip sparkling stems or white-wine glasses.

WHY CRÉMANT DE ROSÉ HERE?

Our cool inland site gives red Bordeaux varieties the freshness needed for a dry, savoury sparkling rosé. The Crémant de Bordeaux reference matters: this is not a sweet, simple pink fizz, but a crisp, food-friendly sparkling wine with red-fruit lift, savoury balance and refreshing acidity.