NEWS
LVMH CHANDON DEBUTS MADE-IN-INDIA STILL RED LABEL AURA
By Susan Lewis
25-10-2023
Source: Chandon India
LVMH owned champagne house Chandon debuts its first made-in-India still red label Aura, made from Shiraz grapes grown in India’s Nashik region.
Available in Mumbai and Nashik at INR4,250 (USD51) per bottle, Aurva has an ABV of 14 percent.
It is described as having deep ruby colour with notes of blueberry, raspberry, blackberry and black cherry followed by floral notes of jasmine and violet.
Aurva is crafted at Chandon India’s Dindori winery in Nashik, Maharashtra, where the vines are planted at a vantage point of 600 metres with rich red soil.
The Shiraz vines are carefully trained, with one shoot per branch and only a few bunches per shoot, aided by vertical shoot positioning to achieve just the right amount of sun exposure and ventilation.
Forty percent of the fruit used in Aura is grown at Chandon’s own estate, and 60 percent is grown by supervised local partner growers.
Fermented in custom-built stainless steel tanks for around 10 days, the wine is matured for 14 months in French oak barrels made by century-old cooper François Frères. The French oak lends a touch of spice, coffee bean and chocolate to the wine.
Chandon India is one of the six overseas wineries operated by the LVMH-owned champagne house, the other five are situated in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, China and USA.
The Indian winery has been working on a still red wine for five years, they decided on launching a Shiraz wine after the success of Chandon Rosé (made from 100 percent Shiraz) which was named Best Indian Sparkling Wine 2020 at the Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships.
“For Aurva, we had a clear idea of what we wanted from the grape. It had to be aromatic, fruit-forward and easy to drink, but with an element of sophistication from the judicious use of oak. A still wine that would push the boundaries of Shiraz, that would challenge more traditional expressions around the globe,” said Dan Buckle, winemaking director at Chandon Australia.
“We wanted to create a wine that has layers of personality and character. With each sip, you get different nuances, creating a different experience as you go back to your glass,” said Kaushal Khairnar, head winemaker at Chandon India.
Best served at 18 and 22 degrees, Aurva pairs well with savoury roast vegetables, barbecued meats as well as chicken tikka masala.
“Aurva makes a great gift too, since it has the capacity to age three to four years. So you can present a bottle to family and friends both in India and abroad,” added Khairnar.
(the writer can be contacted at: info@thewinechronicle.com)
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