ÉTOILE SITS AT THE PINNACLE OF CHANDON
AN AMBITIOUS PASSION PROJECT TO CAPTURE THE HEIGHTS OF GREATNESS IN AUSTRALIAN SPARKLING WINE
PURCHASE HERETHE ÉTOILE STORY
A NEW BENCHMARK FOR AUSTRALIAN SPARKLING, 25 YEARS IN THE MAKING
Étoile is the ultimate expression of CHANDON: an ambitious passion project that redefines Australian luxury. Twenty-five years ago, our Winemaking Director Dan Buckle, had a first taste of the great wines of the world he had previously only dreamed of. The finesse and complexity opened a new vista of what was possible. With Étoile, this dream is realised: a multi-vintage composition based on our library of Chandon Vintage Brut reserves, together representing hundreds of base wines and rounded out with extended ageing. It reflects the ceaseless quest of our community of past and current winemakers to create the most exceptional sparkling wines. It’s a toast to the free thinkers, the pioneers, the stargazers. A reminder to look to the heavens and ask: what if?
The inaugural release was launched in 2023, the very first individually numbered bottles shared with our Club CHANDON Étoile Members. The reviews of this first release speak for themselves:
"A true multi-vintage blend of eight years of Chandon’s Vintage Brut reserve wines held in barrel dating back to 2005. You’d think it might be too heavy and complex – but in fact it has exceptional balance, poise and length, with flavours spanning white peach to croissant, leading to a lingering fresh finish."
97 points – James Halliday – Wine Companion
"It’s intense and beautifully soft, texturally refined, the finish clean and dry and appetising without obvious acidity or noticeable grip or sweetness. A masterpiece of blending, technically impressive and deliciously drinkable. Fruit is highlighted rather than yeast/aged characters."
97 points – Huon Hooke – The Real Review
"Given that this wine has components in the blend going back to 2005, it’s remarkably fresh and, yes, fruity. Super-complex but super-focused, too, with exceptional length of flavour."
Max Allen – Australian Financial Review
Our Club CHANDON Étoile Members are among the first to receive a bottle of CHANDON Étoile from each new release. To secure your access to this exceptional sparkling wine, join an Étoile Membership today.
“WITH ÉTOILE, WE SET OUT TO BREAK THE RULES”
CHANDON ÉTOILE
THE FIRST RELEASE
Étoile considers the wealth of what can be achieved when we are free of the limitations of singularities. By focusing on the blend, we have crafted a finely tuned cuvée with no rough edges, that shines like a polished gem. Étoile is about balance, length of palate and complexity drawing from the art of blending.
Every year – with the exception of 2000 and 2020 – CHANDON has released a Vintage Brut, our flagship wine. Our philosophy prioritises fruit purity by allowing it to take the starring role, and letting age contribute as layers of complexity. And every year we have put aside reserves of these blends for future use. Étoile is a true multi-vintage blend of eight exceptional years of CHANDON Vintage Brut, spanning back to 2005. Ageing in oak barrels adds further complexity.
Étoile tells the story of the years. We have the ultra-cool season of 2005; the blast of heat that was 2009, which was followed by a cooler autumn. The lovely 2012 season, which built slowly and gently through March into April, with an ideal autumn – low twenties in the daytime with colder nights. The hotter 2013 season, which was a flurry of harvest. The 2014 was concentrated, with low yields; we’ve used a small amount of this vintage to contribute a subtle richness. The wonderful 2015 season – again cool, and longer, with extremely delicate results. And then the hotter 2016 – a glow of sunshine and warm days.
Five of Australia's premier cool climate wine regions contributed to the final blend of Étoile.
51% is from the mountainous Whitlands High Plateau, where red soils produce wines with distinct zesty drive; 23% is from the Yarra Valley, where ancient soils lend generosity to the blend; 16% from the Strathbogie Ranges where the weathered granitic sand imparts precision and minerality; 5% from Tasmania, where coolness drives purity of fruit; and 5% from Macedon Ranges, where the Southern Ocean impact imparts salinity.
Étoile is absolutely and resolutely Australian. Its guiding principle is to capture poise, elegance and finesse from fruit purity, rather than seeking heavy autolytic flavours and yeasty notes in the old-world mode.
On the nose it tantalises with aromas of Asian pear, white peach and finger lime with an undercurrent of macadamia butter and hints of apple blossom. The palate reveals waves of yuzu, bergamot and white peach floating on pistachio nougat with whispers of pastry and allspice. Characters burst with radiance and integrate seamlessly. There’s tightly wound acidity and a surprising level of brightness and vibrancy. Autolytic notes from the wine’s extended age are smooth and subtle, gingernutty. Overall, there is a sense of plenty, embraced with mesmerising restraint, completeness and harmony.
YUZU, BERGAMOT, WHITE PEACH AND PISTACHIO NOUGAT WITH WHISPERS OF PASTRY AND ALLSPICE
WINE SPECS | |
VARIETIES | Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Meunier |
VINTAGES | 2005, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 |
VINEYARDS | Whitlands High Plateau, Yarra Valley, Strathbogie Ranges, Tasmania, Macedon |
TIRAGE | 2nd March 2017 |
RELEASE | First release, 6,757 bottles |
DOSAGE | 3g/l |
ALCOHOL | 12.5% |
DISGORGEMENT | 8th December 2021 |
PRICE | $120 | $102 CLUB PRICE |
ELEVATED EXPERIENCES
At CHANDON, our Étoile experiences are a celebration of our most prestigious wines and your most memorable occasions.
ÉTOILE UNVEILED
Step into a world of exquisite craftsmanship and luxury with a private tasting to truly experience the allure that is Étoile.
ÉTOILE DEGUSTATION
Savour a meticulously crafted seven course degustation menu, perfectly accompanied by our luminous masterblend, Étoile.
ELEVATED EXPERIENCES
At CHANDON, our Étoile experiences are a celebration of our most prestigious wines and your most memorable occasions.
ÉTOILE UNVEILED
Step into a world of exquisite craftsmanship and luxury with a private tasting to truly experience the allure that is Étoile.
ÉTOILE DEGUSTATION
Savour a meticulously crafted seven course degustation menu, perfectly accompanied by our luminous masterblend, Étoile.