Chandon India
THE FACTS
THE STORY
THE ESTATE
As multinational companies may not own agricultural land in India, Chandon, apart from the 4.5-acre vineyard on the land of the winery itself, works with contracted farmers to procure grapes, its viticultural team providing the technical specifications and expertise to achieve the desired quality. A significant source of Chenin Blanc, Shiraz and Pinot Noir is Dhule, which is located 150–180 kilometres north-east of Dindori, close to the Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh border. The yield for Chenin Blanc and Shiraz averages around six tonnes per acre. While the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay yields continue to remain small at only three and four-and-a-half tonnes respectively, it is a remarkable achievement in India for varieties notoriously difficult to grow in the sub-tropical climate.
The technical operations were set up and directed by Kelly Healey, the Australian head-winemaker, who handed over good initial results and loads of infectious enthusiasm to local winemaker Amrut Vare in 2015. Four vintages later, the stewardship of the cellar was passed on to Nashik-born and France-educated Kaushal Khairnar, the youngest winemaker in the global Chandon family. Technical operations continue to work alongside a highly dedicated marketing team, which has seen Chandon earn international recognition for its fine bubbles crafted on Indian terroir.
Two sparklers are available in the market from the Chandon stable: a white made of Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; and a rosé made of Pinot Noir and Shiraz. Both are produced in the brut style and, in fact, the dosage, the pre-bottling adjustment of the sweetness level of the final wine, has seen a minimal decrease, further enhancing its dry and fresh character.
Particular attention is given to protecting the fruit throughout the production process. The grapes are first chilled. The free-run juice is separated and then the grapes go through very gentle pressing. Chandon has experimented with the whole-bunch pressing of Chenin Blanc. The free-run and press wines are vinified separately and, during assemblage, a panel decides on whether to include the press wine in the final blend. After secondary fermentation in the bottle, the wine spends 18 months on fine lees, which provides a lovely, rich, doughy and yeasty texture; and it is a further eight months of bottle maturation before it is ready for release. An unforeseen benefit of the Covid pandemic was the long ageing on fine lees for up to 24–26 months, wrapping the wine elegantly with richer brioche and yeasty flavours than usual.
As Chandon India matures into a well-established venture, an increasing stock of reserve wines are being built up in the cellar, allowing the winemaker to experiment more freely. Dependent on how age-worthy vintages come along and stocks are depleted by sales, the reserve stock in barrels is between 30 and 40 per cent. The product remains labelled ‘non-vintage’, even though there is always a predominant year in the final blend, as maintaining the consistency of a fresh and fruity house style will set limits on the use of reserve wines. Creating the blend is a delicate act of balancing myriads of factors and pushes winemaking to the edge of science as well as art.
In the spirit of experimentation, Délice, a semi-dec sparkling wine, has exclusively been poured for visitors at Chandon India’s premises only. The blanc de blancs, made from Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay, has an easily approachable style, and with 45 g/l residual sugar, it is tempting to serve it with fruit or on the rocks. The marketing jury is out while consumer testing at the visitor centre continues.
THE WINES
The Chandon style combines freshness, fruits and the elegance of secondary fermentation. The white is remarkable for combining fruit, elegance, concentration and lightness. The rosé is made dominantly from Shiraz, which pushes the ripeness of the red fruits to the fore and gives a broader, generous and a touch voluptuous feel in the mouth. The white shines brighter and is decidedly of a higher level of quality. The semi-dec Délice is light and delicate; with only eight to 10 months on fine lees, it allows the fruits to shine with softly textured mousse.
THE LABELS
- Chandon
Brut
- Chandon
Brut Rosé
- Chandon Délice, semi-dec
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