Selma de Nin Ancestral 2015

This is Esters us Carles' first version of a sparkling wine after Méthode Ancestrale from the Finca La Sinia and the mixed set named Selma. It is located in a vineyard called El Plà de Manlleu in Ester Nin's home in Alt Penedès, directly below the Castillo de Selma. In 2008, she and Carles Ortiz planted one hectare of the mixed set planted from 25 % each of Roussanne, Marsanne, Chenin blanc and Parellada Montonegra. The vines stand at 750 meters altitude on clay and limestone. After harvest, the whole clusters are crushed and the juice left on the skins for 24 hours. The wine is then pressed slowly, fermented, and then bottled half-fermented, where it continues to ferment with the natural yeasts. Bottle aging took place from 2015 until today.

light straw yellow, slightly cloudy with lively perlage. If one turns the bottle before and shakes easily, the yeast bearing dissolves if one wants that.

Esters and Carles wine Selma de Nin is already a great specialty as a still wine. As a foamer, the wine is even more unconventional. The Ancestral smells a little like Coche-Dury and this reductive aroma of bangers and sulphur woods typical for it. In addition there are lots of salt lemons and something of tart apples, roasted sesame and still young quinces.

Also on the palate, reductive note, tart apple notes and the salt lemons combine quite clearly and remind - if one likes to compare it - of reductive Loire Sauvignon. For the Selma de Nin Ancestral also has a great freshness, which is also a parallel. Here, besides the tart fruit, notes of fennel pollen and some anise, some blond tobacco as well as chalky notes show up. The mousseux seems lively and fine at the same time, which is no wonder given the long yeast aging. The Ancestral also shows power and length with a pleasant pressure on the palate. This is definitely an unusual sparkling wine discovery!