Hidden Bench Natur Zéro Dosage Sparkling 2017

This ‘zero dosage’ (no sugar added) traditional method sparkling wine spent five years on its lees before being disgorged in January of this year. It’s a blend of 57% Pinot Noir and 43% Chardonnay from estate vineyards and spends seven months in 100% French oak, all neutral barriques. I tasted this from an unlabelled bottle. It pours an elegant, persistent mousse and has a complex nose of toasty/brioche, fresh lemon, grapefruit, pear, white flowers, a touch of flint and toasted almonds with subtle autolytic notes. It has energetic bubbles and verve on the palate with zesty citrus, green apple, lemon curd and pear in a rich and elegant style that combines length and mouth-watering acidity through a lifted finish. A fabulous sparkling wine. Score – 93. (Rick VanSickle, winesinniagara.com, April 3, 2023)