Reviewed – 4 May 2011
Every now and then, a wine bargain presents itself that seems too good to be true. I question whether the price is right or if there is something wrong with the actual wine. One of these offers was the reason for this impromptu tasting. Woolworths Liquor has Pol Gessner non vintage Champagne on sale from today at $25 per bottle (two bottles for $50 to be precise).
Pol Gessner is a brand that I have enjoyed in the past and has been, from time to time, our everyday sparkling wine at home. It is one of brands of the Marne et Champagne group who also produce Lanson and numerous other brands. My understanding is that this is one of their better brands.
It has been available for a number of years exclusively through the various Woolworths chains (Dan Murphy, BWS etc) and I have seen it discounted to as low as $33 bottle in the past.
It has annoyed me somewhat that whilst the Australian dollar is at record highs, there has been little change in the price of imported wines. Here, at least, it seems that a company is passing on the benefits of the high dollar to consumers.
As I said, this offer seemed to good to be true, so I purchased a bottle to check on the quality. When the panel unmasked the wines, we were amazed that a wine of this quality is available for only $25. Make no mistakes, this is genuine Champagne. Whilst it is not quite up to the standards of Pol Roger, Roederer etc, it is streets ahead of the local competition at this price point.
In general, I am trying to buy more local products to reduce my carbon footprint, but with Champagne like this, I will make an exception. See you at the checkout…
Reviewed
Pol Gessner – Brut – Reserve – N.V. (17.5). More of the complexity that I am looking for in a sparkling wine, which is the result of ageing the wine on lees for a longer duration prior to bottling. Yeast, bread and even a touch of brioche are apparent on the nose. The palate is more complex, with a greater concentration of flavour and good texture. This is brilliant value and a really good drink.
Mount Avoca – Sparkling Shiraz – Jack.Barry – N.V. (17). I do not see many sparkling shirazes in our panel tastings, so this was a welcome addition. The key to this wine is that you can tell that the fruit is good quality. This actually smells like a good shiraz. There is an obvious sweetness to the fruit, but there are leathery tones with pepper and spice. The finish is gently sweet and the tannin profile works well. I tried to drink this with a steak, but found it worked best by itself at the end of the meal.
Deviation Road – Brut – Methode Champenoise – 2009 (16.9). More fruit aromas here to go with some gentle lees characters. Quite broad and mouth-filling, this is a smart wine with some character. Not overly complex, but a good drink.
Mount Avoca – Blanc de Blanc – Lisa.Marie – 2008 (16.7). Quite a complex nose, with yeasty notes reminiscent of fresh bread (dough). Good mouth-feel and attack in the mouth, but the flavour profile is quite linear. Good finish.
De Bortoli – Rose – Rococo – N.V. (16.5). Palest pink hue. More up front fruit and some fresh grape aromas that are quite floral really (think strawberry). Some development and richness apparent on the palate, but the flavours are quite short. Good length courtesy of the acids.
Grant Burge – Brut – Pinot Noir/Chardonnay – N.V. (16.5). Quite a subdued nose. The palate is very pleasant and easy to drink. Excellent drinking really.