Description: Elegant, classic biscuity bouquet, with yeasty lees-creaminess and fine, persistent bubbles.John Platter Guide 2006.

Borealis Brut

Continues to impress, incl visitors from Champagne. Subtle, critically acclaimed MCC, blend 50/50 chard-pinot, traditional vinification incl bunch-pressing, free-run juice only. Latest 1999 toasty, chard-dominated bouquet; crisp, dry biscuity feel, lengthy dry finish. Preview of 2000 shows slightly more weight (within fine-boned TJ context), sweet red-berried pinot dominating in youth, very attractive. Tantalisingly close to Fr originals. Lightish alcs (11.5%), & getting dryer, now only 7–8 g/ℓ sugar.

Vinification: Traditional grape varieties (Pinot Noir & Chardonnay) are hand picked in the cool of the night and the early mornings at the beginning of the harvest season. Only the free run juice is used for this MCC product - ± the first 500 litres per ton. Krone Borealis is bottle fermented and then matures on the lees in underground cellars after which, prior to dégorging, the bottles are packed in wooden pupitres (turning racks) and the rémuage (turning of the bottles) is done entirely by hand. Krone Borealis is microbiologically stable, the true celebration of the vintner's art.