Grapes were picked between March and May at 12.5° - 13° baumé. The grapes from each vineyard were crushed and fermented separately in open top fermenters, to preserve their unique characteristics. The grapes were gently punched down by hand up to six times a day, to extract the colour from the skins. Once initial fermentation was complete the wine was racked to stainless steel tanks to undergo malolactic fermentation with some batches being stored in seasoned oak barrels for just a few months in order to ensure the retention of the fresh varietal flavours and a soft, smooth tannin structure. The final blend was composed of approximately 70% pinot noir and 30% shiraz assembled from about 15 individual red wine cuvées from the current vintage and a small amount of one to two year old reserve wines. Like all of our sparkling wine styles, the second fermentation took place in bottle with a specially selected yeast strain. The Chandon Sparkling Pinot Shiraz is a forward and fruit driven style and received only 12 to 18 months of yeast ageing, after which it was disgorged. A final dosage was then added to fine tune the structure and balance of the wine and the bottles sealed under cork and aged in bottle for a minimum of three months before release.