Winemaker's Notes

The unique muscat clone of chardonnay, clone 809, was planted at Malivoire's sustainably farmed Estate vineyard in 1999. Originally planted to be a blending component of our Estate Chardonnay, the overwhelming aromatics warranted its own designation. Since the aromas can be fleeting, early picking is the key to success. Out of this grew the idea of making a low alcohol, off dry, spritz wine akin to a Moscato d'Asti.

The 2006 vintage gave us heat, sunlight and sufficient rain providing flavourful fruit by early September. Yield was dramatically low despite the season at 31 hl/ha. Hand harvested on September 11 at 20.1° brix, titratable acidity of 9.3 g/l and a pH of 3.1. In the cellar, the grapes were sorted, gently pressed whole cluster, cold settled and racked with some light lees to enhance aromatic compounds, then fermented in stainless steel at 13°C. Fermentation was halted after 14 days when the alcohol reached 9% alcohol leaving 75 grams per litre of residual sugar for balance. The tank was then sealed and chilled to retain natural carbonation. Bottled on December 20, 2006 at zero degrees Celsius to minimize CO2 evolution. Drink now to 2008.

Food Pairings

Off-dry versatility allows you to pair this wine throughout your meal. Try it with mussels in a light curry sauce, or with filet of pickerel en papillote with a spicy lemon zest-coconut emulsion. For a desert pairing, have with a piece of pineapple up-side-down cake.