The Swan Valley is full of delicious secrets, some of them, a thing of legend. One of them happens every year in August. The small cellar door of Mann Winery opens its doors to release two of the most exciting sparkling wines in the region. Once the wine runs out, Mr. Mann and his daughter Anthea go back to the shadows to do what they do best; Tend their vines and patiently mature their wines.
Mr. Mann produces two distinct wines, a sparkling rosé made with Cabernet Sauvignon, and a dry sparkling white made with the ghostly Cygne Blanc. They are both bone-dry and are made in the traditional Champagne method; the wines are matured for two-and-a-half years, hand riddled, and hand disgorged. The family has refined their craft for seventy years, and it shows.
This is no regular cellar door either, Mr. Mann himself talks you through his wines. He also pours his samples on small Fino (sherry wines) glasses, that’s the way it has been for quite awhile, Mr Dorham Mann has these glasses for more than 40 years now. Surprisingly, the narrow glasses capture the wine’s bouquet and concentrate it.
The sparkling rosé has an elegant pale salmon hue, gorgeous strawberry aromas entwined with scents of rose blossom. The palate is creamy and red summer berries extend through a long dry finish. The Manns used to make this rosé for private indulgence, only uncorked on birthdays and holidays within Mann’s family. Now it’s out on the market and sells out quickly.
The white sparkler is made with Cygne Blanc, the White Swan. The grape was discovered in Mann’s property by the family. A rogue seeding, and quite unusual white variation of Cabernet Sauvignon, this grape is exciting!
“From a fallen berry, the white Cabernet was born”
this is the kind of things legends are made from, and the White Swan has a bright future too. It was registered with its current name in 1999, honouring both the Swan Valley and its French heritage.
This is for many the true native Australian variety, not a crossing but an offspring of Cabernet Sauvignon, this grape has its own character. The wine has overwhelming finesse. Reminiscent of butter, nuts, and honey, it has a crisp, tight acidity and a lovely long, clean finish. You’ll find this wine similar to a Semillon or a Marsanne, and in its sparkling form, it’s hard to match.
Mr. Mann makes just 500 cases of wine a year. And they’re achieving legendary status now that the trade secret has come out. Every winery has its story, but some are simply historical. Enjoy these wines while they last and come experience for yourself the warmth, and knowledge of their creator. The wines, the grapes and the people, that’s what makes the world of wine so special.
