About
Chardonnay/Pinot Noir blend from cool-climate Orange. Clean, precise, properly polished — the reliable aperitif Champagne-style at a fair price.
The grapes grow on the slopes of Mount Canobolas, or Gaahna Bulla, an extinct volcano above Orange. Printhie's sparkling sites are the highest vineyards in New South Wales, at 900 to 1,000 metres, on fertile volcanic soil. Bantry Grove at Blayney and La Colline on the mountain are two of the main sources.
Drew Tuckwell joined Printhie in 2008 and bottled the first Swift in 2010. It is traditional method, with the second ferment in bottle, and Printhie quotes around 96 months on lees. The blend shifts with each release. It is usually chardonnay-led with pinot noir and reserve wines, though one recent disgorgement carried pinot meunier as well. Dosage is low, so it finishes very dry, with straw, honey and a creamy texture from the lees.
Serve it well chilled as the opener, with oysters if you have them.
Structure
Picked on Stef's structure profile.
