Champagne. and. Sparkling WINE

Transcription

1 Sparkling and Champagne With the holiday season (and hopefully the warm weather) upon us once again, what will you be selling this summer? Maurizio Corda and Rob Geddes report on the top picks from the recent champagne and sparkling Wine List tasting.

2 THE PANEL Rob Geddes, Master of Wine, wine writer, author of Australian Wine Vintages. Clive Hartley, course director and senior wine lecturer, Sydney Wine Academy, Sydney Lisa Johnston, wine educator, writer and wine business consultant Tony Cosgriff, Centennial Vineyards Karen Macalister, manager of wine education at the McWilliam s Wines Academy, Sydney Annette Lacey, lecturer, Sydney Wine Academy Matthew Stutsel, senior tax partner with KPMG Tom Warrell, full-time engineer Ashley Pini, Editor. Maurizio Corda, Deputy editor. The tasting panel comprised of eight members and was led by master of wine, Rob Geddes. For this tasting, panelists were divided into three teams, with Rob Geddes and the expert panelists tasting sparkling white (from Australia) and prosecco, four finalists for the Vin de Champagne Awards tasting the Champagne and the Hip Media team tasting sparkling rosé, sparkling red, moscato and international sparkling. The Champagne tasting also featured a consumer focus group (Leone Cruden, Melinda Virgona and Juliana Payne). Each of the teams selected their top wines, coming together at the end to discuss the progress of varietal. For this tasting we chilled all the wine to within the temperature range that customers typically enjoy sparkling. The panel s selection was as follows. Class 1: Australian sparkling white Evans & Tate Zamphire NV RRP: $20 Region: Margaret River Distributed by: McWilliam s Wines Group Sweet notes of banana custard, sweet and sour grapefruit, appealing fruit weight. Passion fruit and firm acid on the palate with long length. Pleasant afternoon drink with nice citrus drive. Tyrrell s Old Winery Brut RRP: $12.99 Region: Hunter Valley Distributed by: Tyrrell s Wines Fresh, persistent and elegant with apple sherbet notes and a balanced finish. Good persistence with fine bubbles. Mojo Chardonnay Pinot Noir Fizz RRP: $19.55 Distributed by: Red+white Bronze in colour, with aromas of strawberries and cream. Soft and round, with sweet fruit and balance. Fresh, dry and savoury, well balanced nutty finish. Frogmore Creek Forty-Two Degrees South NV Sparkling RRP: $27 Distributed by: Red+ White, Tasmania, Mezzanine, all other states. Cool restraint with citrus, grapefruit and honey notes. The palate is dry with apple and pear flavours. Creamy and even elegant. Good length. 101

3 Coldstream Hills Chardonnay Pinot Noir 2008 RRP: $34.99 Region: Yarra Valley Complex, toasty, bready, Good yeast age complementing the palate. Creamy apple, baked pudding, good balance and freshness. Head and shoulders above the pack. Pirie NV Sparkling RRP: $32 Distributed by: Brown Brothers Some biscuit notes, well balanced with fresh apple fruit flavours in a light bodied, elegant and driven palate. Honey aged edge, some savoury, good dosage and finess on the palate. Firm finish with good length. Jansz Premium NV Cuvee RRP: $23.99 Distributed by: Samuel Smith & Son Toast and apple notes, good acid line with elegance and delicacy. Firm creamy middle palate and a soft, well balanced finish. Textural, complex and generous. Seppelt Fleur de Lys vintage 2008 RRP: $17.99 Complex wine with nutty, honey notes, tight acid, well balanced intense palate, medium length. Good fruit weight. Brown Brothers NV Sparkling RRP: $22.90 Region: Victoria Distributed by: Brown Brothers Vitamin B, yeasty aromas. Cream, apple, long length, good dosage. Broad fruit, citrus, peach, zesty palate. Very fresh. Yellowglen Perle NV RRP: $18.99 Bold colour, with complex aged characters, toffee. Complex middle palate with soft lemon and brioche characters. Seppelt Salinger NV RRP: $18.90 Honeyed fruit, some nougat hints, bright citrusy palate turning savoury. Appealing and complex. Dry with good acid line and a creamy midpalate. Yellowglen Perle Vintage 2008 RRP: $28.99 Creamy apple, crisp palate with fruit complexity, Clean finish. Good, classy flagship wine. Good length. Hardys Sir James Pinot Noir Chardonnay 2005 RRP: $26.99 Region: South-eastern Australia Distributed by: Accolade Wines Cool fruit, subtle complexity, yeasty, good length. Great wine with nice citrus, apple and pea motes and a foaming mousse. Domaine Chandon Tasmanian Cuvee 2008 RRP: $39.95 Very fine, tight and elegant, honey notes, long length. Mineral and citrusy, fresh, vibrant zesty acid, dry and elegant. Firm, nicely handed dosage, long and generous. 102

4 Domaine Chandon Vintage 2009 RRP $39.95 Region: Yarra Valley Mineral note complemented by apple, lemon; mouthfilling and generous. Finely textured with long finish. Toasty notes, fresh and zesty. Fuller, more pinot influenced style. Seppelt Salinger Vintage 2008 RRP: $24.99 Fresh bread, good apple acid honey, nougat, complex. Creamy palate, vegemite, good length savoury, dry, medium legtnh. Very generous and rich, mouthfilling and long. Sweet ripe fruit. Nice elegance. House of Arras Grand Vintage 2004 RRP: $72.99 Distributed by: Accolade Wines Notes of citrus, brioche and nuts. Very creamy texture and palate, with long length and line. Very moreish. Complex and fine with a saline character, dry creamy mid-palate citrus flavours. Elegant with complex pinot lift, lovely creamy vanilla and brioche finish. Class 2: Australian sparkling Rosé LaCache 2007 Sparkling Rosé RRP: $36 Region: Margaret River Distributed by: Domaine Wine Shippers A pleasant pink with fruity aromas with characteristic toasty yeast, a full creamy palate and a lively well-entrained mousse. Bay of Fires Pinot Noir Chardonnay Rosé RRP: $36.50 Distributed by: Accolade Wines A pleasant pink colour with aromas of ripe strawberries. On the palate, wild dark berry fruit and brioche flavours with a long finish. 104

5 Class3: Champagne Champagne Delamotte Brut NV RRP: $74.99 Distributed by: Bacchus Wine Merchants Pale gold, with a gentle bead. Clean, yeasty, with a hint of floral and notes of citrus and mushroom. A dry and creamy, but clean finish with a moderate length. Champagne Philipponnat Royale Réserve Brut NV RRP: $70 Distributed by: Arquilla Medium gold, with an active bead and medium intensity. Bready aromas with notes of citrus. Gentle herbal aftertaste with a refreshing palate and a medium finish with some lingering flavours. Champagne Alfred Gratien Brut NV RRP: $83 Distributed by: Zenith Wine Agencies Medium gold with an active, persistent bead. Bready with fruity aromas of green apple and citrus. The bready nose and colour fills the palate resulting in a medium/long finish. Champagne Alfred Gratien Cuvée Paradis RRP: $189 Distributed by: Zenith Wine Agencies A medium yet bright gold with a fine bead. Toasty crisp aromas of nuts, honey and apples with hints of hazelnut. The palate is full with flavours of red apple and hints of cereal and honey with a strong, powerful finish. Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial RRP: $89.99 A pale lemon colour with a fine bead. Subtle nose with notes of citrus and honey. The palate shows green apple and sherbet lemon flavours and the finish is medium-long. Mailly Grand Cru Brut NV RRP: $91.95 Distributed by: Vernet Group Medium gold, with an orange core and an active bead. Ripe apples, citrus peel and honey on the nose with refreshing zesty finish. Mailly Grand Cru Millesimé 2006 RRP: $ Distributed by: Vernet Group Medium gold with a clear bright core. The nose is rich with notes of honey and nuts, specifically almonds. On the palate are honey and almond flavours with a hint of cereal and grapefruit. Champagne Taittinger Brut NV RRP: $99.99 Distributed by: McWilliam s Wines Pale lemon colour, with a persistent bead. Notes of bread and apple on a subtle nose with a creamy palate with moderate length. G.H. Mumm Cordon Rouge Brut RRP: $74.99 Distributed by: Pernod Ricard Australia Vey pale lemon colour with a clean lemon citrus nose with floral highlights. Medium to long length finish with creamy persistent palate with hints of citrus and grapefruit. Ruinart Blanc de Blancs NV RRP: $120 Very pale colour with almost water white core. Sweet but sulfurous on the nose with a short finish and dominant citrus flavours on the front palate. Veuve Clicquot Vintage Brut 2004 RRP: $132 A golden green colour with a very gentle bead. The nose has toasty, buttery aromas with a hint of citrus with a dry, creamy oak palate and a long elegant length. Champagne Taittinger Brut Millesimé 2005 RRP: $140 Distributed by: McWilliam s Wines A bright golden colour with intense aromatics. Notes of honey, stone fruit and baked apple. The palate is full flavoured with redcurrant, honey, strawberry and yeasty characters. A finish with medium length. 105

6 G.H. Mumm Blanc de Blancs RRP: $199 Distributed by: Pernod Ricard Australia Mid lemon colour with a greenish tinge. Earthy on the nose with some overtones of orchard fruit aromas. Palate is dry with medium earthy flavours and hints of red apples. Ruinart Brut Rosé RRP: $120 Rosé red colour with a fresh pretty style of lifted floral notes, with a hint of mushrooms on the nose. The palate is red apples and quince in the middle that fall away across the finish. Class 4: Rosé champagne Veuve Clicquot Rosé NV RRP: $115 Distributed by: Moet Hennessy Australia Peachy orange and salmon hues with a fine bead. Complex nose with yeasty notes and aromas of red apples, fennel, vanilla and berries. On the palate fresh bread is evident with a long finish. Moet et Chandon Brut Imperial Rosé RRP: $104 Salmon in colour with orange hints and clean, crisp and earthy on the nose. The palate is light bodied with strawberries, raspberries and red apple that fill the middle palate with strength. Taittinger Brut Prestige Rosé NV RRP: $130 Distributed by: McWilliam s Wines Burnt rose colour with a pale pink core. On the nose, red fruits and yeasty, floral aromas with traces of vanilla. On the palate berries, red apples, nectarines and s light sherbety taste. Veuve Clicquot Vintage Rosé 2004 RRP: $148 Distributed by: Moet Hennessy Australia Pinky red in colour, with notes of strawberries on the nose with aromas of honeysuckle and jasmine. Red fruit and berries on the palate with a long and elegant finish. Bollinger Brut Rosé RRP: $162 Distributed by: Fine Wine Partners A salmon colour with aged characters, predominantly yeasty aromas with acidic notes of fresh fruits with a creamy mid palate weight and a good long finish. Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2002 Rosé RRP: $ A rich salmon colour with a delicate bead. Yeasty, toasty aromas with notes of strawberry and mushrooms. The palate is full of juicy fruit flavours with hints of grapefruit and candied fruit on the finish. Champagne Alfred Gratien Brut Rosé RRP: $98 Distributed by: Zenith Wine Agencies A lolly pink, clear hue with an active and persistent bead. A delicate, neutral nose with slight aromas of strawberries. Red summer berries and red apples on the palate with a moderate finish. Class 5: Moscato Brown Brothers Vintage Sparkling Moscato Rosa RRP: $18 Region: Victoria Distributed by: Brown Brothers A pretty pink colour,this moscato offers sweet berry aromas on the nose. On the palate the taste of fresh summer berries. 106

7 Class 7: international sparkling Kilikanoon Brut Vouvray 2009 RRP: $30 Region: Loire Valley, France Distributed by: Kilikanoon Wines Pale in colour, aromas of fresh fruit and mild citrus meet the nose. The palate is pears and green apples. Class 8: New Zealand sparkling Nautilus Cuvée Brut NV RRP: $29.99 Region: Marlborough, NZ Distributed by: Samuel Smith & Son Pale straw with fine bead and creamy mousse. Nutty bouquet, the palate offers fruit flavours that marry with biscuity, yeast characters and crisp acidity followed by a dry finish. Elegant style with delicacy but also complexity and fullness of flavour. Cloudy Bay Pelorus Brut RRP: $34.99 Region: Marlborough A pale yellow, with a fresh apple and toasty bread aroma. On the palate, crisp apple and full yeasty flavours. Class 6: Prosecco Class 9: Sparkling Red Bellussi Prosecco Superiore NV RRP: $26 Region: Italy Distributed by: Arquilla Wine Merchants Smokey, spicy apple and pear flavours, good lingering length. Appealing, vibrant and clean. Coriole Prosecco RRP: $20 Distributed by: Fine Wine Partners Mineral, herbal nose with apricot blossom, pear fruit. On the palate earthy, nectarine green fruit, apple tart. Dry in style with fresh fruit and firm finish. Seppelt Original Sparkling Shiraz 2007 RRP: $18.99 A deep red colour, with aromas of fresh fruit on the nose and red berries and black pepper on the palate. Grant Burge NV Sparkling Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon RRP:$25 Region: Barossa Valley Distributed by: Vignerons of the World A rich red colour with aromas of ripe cherry, spices and vanilla. On the palate it has a creamy mousse and elegant mouthfeel, finishing with a balance of acidity and fruit sweetness. 107