Troebel Wijnen
Optimbulles - Brilliant
Optimbulles - Brilliant
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The Wine & The Maker
Winemaker: Maxim Geunis / Wijndomein Optimbulles
Region: Haspengouw, Belgium
Grapes: Chardonnay
The Story
Briljant is Optimbulles at its most patient. A Belgian Blanc de Blancs made entirely from Chardonnay, produced according to the traditional method and aged for at least 60 months on the lees. More than five years of waiting before the bottle is even ready to open.
That kind of patience fits Optimbulles rather well. The estate has been making sparkling wine in Haspengouw since the early 1990s and eventually brought the entire production process in-house. Today Maxim Geunis, son of co-founder Guido, plays a leading role at the domaine. In the cellar, intervention is kept low: wild yeasts, no fining agents and no filtration where it isn't needed.
Briljant is also bottled without dosage, making it a Brut Nature. No added sugar to soften the edges; the ripe Chardonnay and long ageing have to do the work themselves.
The Vibe & Tasting Notes
More serious and developed than your average fresh-and-fruity fizz, without becoming heavy. Expect the tension of Chardonnay alongside the creamier, bready character that comes with years of lees ageing. Bone dry thanks to the Brut Nature style, but with enough substance to move well beyond aperitif territory. Open it with oysters, fried fish, shellfish or a table full of small dishes.
How does it work?
How does it work?
Images are for illustration purposes only. The actual wines in each box may vary.
A box with the amount of bottles of your choosing delivered every month on the first week. The theme changes monthly. One month you get wines from Hungary, some months all oranges, some months... who knows!
Pause or change your subscription at any time. Going on holiday and want to skip a month? No problem. Got excited after trying out a 1-bottle box and want to go for the 3-bottle box next? No problem!
Why natural wine costs more, and why it’s worth it
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No shortcuts
Growers who refuse pesticides and chemical additives accept that they’ll lose a significant part of their harvest to weather, disease, and unpredictable nature, but they do it to keep their wines pure, alive, and honest.
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Risk and loss
Nature swings between plenty and scarcity; frost, hail, heat and ferments can erase volumes, fewer bottles must carry the farm’s costs, with ageing measures adding expense to keep the wine clean and true over time.
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Integrity and handwork
Hands replace chemicals: they weed, manage canopies, pick, and sort by hand; presses and gravity moves protect texture, while cleanliness and patient ageing deliver purity without shortcuts, increasing labor but preserving integrity in every bottle.
