Category Archives: Sparkling Wine – Wine Reviews

Sparkling Wine Masterclass with Winemaker Ed Carr

Sparkling Wine Masterclass with Winemaker Ed Carr

Barry Weinman: 4th March 2018

Ed Carr is the undisputed king of sparkling wine in Australia, with over 25 vintages under his belt. Over this time, he has learned that climate has a greater impact on sparkling wine than soil. A southern latitude or high altitude provides the conditions for cool climate viticulture in Australia. Ed suggests that for every 100 metres of elevation, there is a corresponding one degree drop in temperatures.

This has led Ed, and the team at Accolade to focus their sparkling wine efforts on Tasmania (Arras and Bay of Fires), as well as select vineyards in the Adelaide Hills (for Croser).

Established in 1995, the first vintage of Arras was in 1998, which was released in 2002. To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the winery, Arras has released 300 bottles of recently disgorged 1998 vintage at $350/bottle. If the quality of the late-disgorged 2002 is anything to go by, this will be a great wine.

Given that the “standard Arras” range sells for between $40 and $160 per bottle, it would be reasonable to ask if they are worth the money. After all, you can buy very good French Champagne at these prices. The answer is a definitive yes, the quality being right up there with the best France can do. This view is supported by the show judges, with the wines receiving numerous awards in the show circuit.

The critics are also impressed, with Halliday giving all the vintage wines between 96 and 97 points, whilst Huon Hooke gave the 1998 Anniversary wine 98 points!

It should be noted that the wines of Arras are not Champagne clones. They are high quality sparkling wines with a style that reflects both the climate where the grapes come from, but also the vision of the man making them. All of the vintage wines are outstanding, with the Blanc de Blanc being a personal favourite.

Reviewed

Yarra Burn – 2015 – Pinot Noir/Chardonnay/Pinot Meunier – 2015. Quite a rich, fruit-driven style, with layers of autolysis (brioche/ bread dough) adding depth. Not overly complex, but has good presence, with the acid adding length (dosage = 10g/l, spends 2 years on lees).

Croser – Vintage – Pinot Noir/Chardonnay – 2013. More restraint and elegance here, with the apple-like Chardonnay and berry notes making an impact. Fine, textural, long and elegant, with a supple, drying finish. 30% of the wine was aged in old oak which adds a nutty texture. The wine spent 3.5 years on lees, and has a modest dosage of 6g/l (liquored using aged Chardonnay).

Bay of Fires – Tasmanian Cuvee – Rose – NV. Just stained with salmon colour. A pretty wine that is subtle and elegant, yet possesses depth and complexity on the palate. Excellent length and mouth-feel, with a refreshing/drying finish that could even take food. The base wine for this was from the 2010 vintage. Dosage is around 9g/l, and the addition of red wine gives the colour and strawberry fruit.

Arras – Grand Vintage – 2008: A step up in both intensity and depth. Subtle autolysis notes add interest to the palate, which is a treat. Rich fruit and bright, lemony acid combine on a long, textured palate. Real power to the fruit, yet this remains elegant and poised, with the acid adding balance. (65% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 9 years on lees, 10% of base wine aged in oak, dosage = 6g/l).

Arras – Blanc de Blanc – 2008. Similar power to the Grand Vintage, but with more noticeable stone fruit characters. Peach and nectarine are complemented by texture and depth on the palate. A superb wine that is still fresh, yet has excellent complexity. Different to a French Champagne and worth seeking out.

Arras – Rose – 2006. Pretty red fruits and great elegance define this wine. The intensity is dialled back a little, and bottle age has allowed the wine to open up. Try it with crispy skin salmon.

Arras – E.J. Carr – 2002 – Late Disgorged: Amazingly youthful and restrained, yet there is great finesse and power to the citrus/apple fruit. This is the same wine that was used in the 2002 Grand Reserve, however it was only disgorged in 2016. Served out of a magnum.

Sparkling Wine – New Release

Reviewed: 16 February 2013

My perceptions were really challenged during this tasting by the wines from Yellowglen.

  • Firstly, the quality and style of the new releases from Yellowglen are completely different to the cheap wines in the range and are nothing short of stunning!
  • Secondly, whilst there has been a wholesale move to Tasmania as a source of fruit for sparkling wines, this demonstrates just how good the Adelaide Hills wines can be.
  • Finally, as a die-hard fan of Champagne, here is an Australian sparkling wine that I really want to drink.

The 2002 XV is a wine that has changed my perceptions of Australian sparking wine.

At the other end of the spectrum, there are a couple of cheap and cheery wines that represent excellent value for uncomplicated drinking.

Reviewed

Yellowglen – Pinot Noir/Chardonnay – Exceptional Vintage – XV – 2002 (18+). Very fine mousse and developed straw colour. There is a creamy, powerful nose with plenty of autolysis characters from the extended lees contact. This wine is fine and elegant, yet complex, developed and round. With Brioche and cookie/bread dough characters,the palate is soft, round and gentle, with delicate acidity to balance the complex fruit. Could be mistaken for Champagne, this is a fine wine with a complex powerful finish. Powerful enough to take food, this is a truly amazing wine. Having spent 9 years on lees and with 8g/l of dosage, this pinot dominant blend is at the very top of Australian sparkling wine. With a RRP of $50, I intend to put some in my cellar for drinking over the next 6 months.

Yellowglen – Pinto Noir/Chardonnay – Exceptional Vintage – XV – 2004 (17.5). Remarkably fresh compared to the 2002 and a brilliant aperitif style. There is good complexity on the nose with restrained fruit characters over buttery/nutty lees characters. The palate is linear and taut, with a touch of yeast and toast to add interest. More fruit driven than the 2002, with a lovely racy edge.

Marri Wood Park – Chenin Blanc – Grandis – Brut Reserve – 2009 (16.6). A straightforward wine with apple like fruit and gentle creamy finish. Fills the mouth nicely and delivers plenty of joy. An easy drinking fun wine that will make many friends. (The name is a little close to that of the French wine perhaps).

Lindeman’s – Bin 25 – Brut Cuvee – NV (16.4). Vibrant mousse! This is in a different style and delivers plenty of charm. Fresh apply fruit on a vibrant palate that is full of life. A fun wine that will provide great drinking on a warm afternoon with friends. Should be about the same price as a fancy bottle of water… Bargain!!!

De Bortoli – Emeri – Chardonnay/Pinot Noir – NV (16.6). This is an interesting wine. Opens with complex bready aromas. The palate has brioche and creamy satisfying mousse. Not particularly complex, but long, refined and very satisfying. The creamy finish is a highlight.

Wolf Blass – Gold Label – Pinot Noir/Chardonnay 2008 (16.5). Simple, straightforward wine that is quite long, round and satisfying. Easy to drink and well made, this should also be very affordable.v

Riesling and Sparkling Wine

New Release

Reviewed: 18 January 2012

I was most surprised when the covers came of the sparkling wines from Jete during our panel tasting. Well made wines with enough interest to make for excellent drinking.

The highlights of the tasting came from the riesling brackets. The wines from Howard Park were superb, whilst the wines from Frankland Estate were the best that I can remember from this producer.

In both cases, it was fascinating to see how the different vineyards expressed themselves in the glass. If you are interested in holding an interesting tasting, then get the team from Frankland Estate to send you one of each of their current releases.

Reviewed – Sparkling

Jete – Chardonnay/Pinot Noir – Sparkling – NV (17). Clean and fresh, with some Granny Smith apple and some autolysis notes. Bready finish with plenty of acid to keep the balance. Sympathetic dosage adds to the enjoyment with good length to boot. A touch of bitterness on the finish works well.

Yarrabank – Pinot Noir/Chardonnay – Sparkling – 2007 (16.9). Darker colour tending to straw and a very fine bead suggest more bottle age here. Complex, round and balanced, this is a very good effort showing brioche, bread dough and a hint of honeyed development. Good mouth-feel and length. The finish is a touch dominated by the toast, but otherwise, this is a fine wine. Caramel notes to close further hint at some bottle age.

Jete – Rose – Sparkling – NV (16.8). Very pale colour here. This is round and soft with hints of red fruits and apple. Not particularly complex, but an enjoyable wine with good length.

Reviewed – Riesling

Frankland Estate – Riesling – Isolation Ridge – 2011 (18.5). Perfumed talc on the nose, with musk, pear and a hint of sherbet. The palate is superb, with fresh citrus and beautiful balance. The length is excellent and the finish near seamless. A lovely wine that will age gracefully.

Howard Park – Riesling – Porongurup – 2011 (18.5). Very pale colour, this is very undeveloped. Seamless, restrained, taut and balanced, this is a sublime wine of real class. Superb mouth-feel with great intensity and length. This will live for a very long time, developing character and richness as it goes.

Frankland Estate – Riesling – Poison Hill – 2011 (18). More chalky minerals with citrus and frangipani, this is very understated. The quality is obvious, but the wine is very shy. Again, the mouth-feel is excellent and the finish silky. Good length to close. Will only get better.

Howard Park – Riesling – Great Southern – 2011 (18). More forward, with obvious lemony fruit. The palate is zesty and very long. The finish is complex, the mouth-feel excellent and the flavours really linger. Very enjoyable now or in ten years. I would drink these while waiting for the Porongorup to hit its peak.

Frankland Estate – Riesling – Netley Road Vineyard – 2011 (17.8). Lovely nose that is both intense, yet reserved. The palate is reserved, and the acidity is the main feature now. There is citrus fruit in the background, but this needs time to come out. Very long indeed, a few years will do this the world of good.

Frankland Estate – Riesling – Rocky Gully – 2011 (17.5). Lovely lime fruit here. Slate, wet stone and hints of talc and floral notes add interest. On the palate there is fresh lime juice up front, but the finish is a highlight. Long, intense and balanced, this is near seamless. Great value.

Sparkling Wine – New Release

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.

New Release – Sparkling and Friends

28 January 2010

An interesting tasting of wines with bubbles and a small bracket of Pinot Noir. The bracket of sparkling wines was very diverse, both in style and in grape variety. Champagne (wines from the Champagne region in France) can be made from three varieties – chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier.

A wine only made from chardonnay is referred to as a Blanc de Blanc. As the name suggests, this is a white wine made from white (Green) grape varieties. A Blanc de Noir (white from black) is made only from the red (pinot) grape varieties.

A Rose can be made in two ways. One is to use a portion of base wine that has been left in contact with the skins of the red grapes to pick up some colour prior to vinification (wine making). The other is to add a little red wine to the blend at a later stage to add the required colour.

Wines from any region outside of the Champagne region are not allowed to use the name Champagne. Often, they are made in a similar fashion, but without the regulations imposed on the producers of Champagne. Several other production techniques are used at the bottom end of the market.

We included a small bracket of pinot noirs in the tasting as it almost matched the theme and they needed to be tried at some stage. The pinots really struggled in the tasting for two reasons. Firstly, they followed on from the sweet moscatos, which dulled our palates somewhat. Secondly. several of the wines were simply too young. The Stefano Lubiano in particular improved dramatically after being opened for a day.

Tasted

Silkwood – Pinot Noir – Premium – 2006 (17). Earthy nose showing some development. Touch of barnyard and sticking plaster. Ripe, but quite grippy and tight. Needs time to open and soften. Oak will integrate more in a year or two.

Jansz – Brut – LD – 2002 – NV (17*). Much finer than most here. Elegant, refined, balanced and poised. Long and silky palate. Quite buttery and developed. An interesting style.

Jansz – Brut – Premium Vintage Rose– 2006 (16.8*). Obvious Rose. Faint touch of berries. Refined, elegant, sophisticated and long. good texture and mouth feel. Builds.

Prince Laurent – Brut – Champagne – NV (16.8). More obvious champagne style on this. Very well made with some obvious lees characters. Very fine mousse. Tight and fresh, but not complex on the palate. Medium length.

Si – Moscato – Sparkling – NV (16.7). Grapey fruit, musk and spice. The palate is vibrant, sexy and lots of fun. Good acidity to close. Not complex or serious but hard to resist. A fair bit of residual sugar makes this a good option on a warm afternoon.

Jansz – Brut – Premium Non Vintage Rose – NV (16.5). Not my style, but received good support from the rest of the panel. Good length and mouth feel.

Leon Palais – Brut – Blanc de Blanc – NV (16.5). Hard work to start due to restrained style. Apple and creamy lemon to the fore on a lively palate. Some complexity evident. Very good value at under $15. (This is not from the Champagne region).

Preveli – Brut – Blanc de Noir – 2006 (16.5). Orange hue reflects the fact that this is made from pinot. Richer and more obvious than some others, with rich peachy fruit and some developed caramel. Good acid and a touch of residual sugar to add balance. Granny smith apples to close

Sparkling Wines

15th November 2009

In the lead up to Christmas and the summer heat, I am always on the look out for good quality sparkling wines to drink over the season. I have to admit that I am a fan of Champagne (the French stuff) and drink very little Australian sparkling. This relates to the fact that Champagne is one wine style where the new world has yet to equal the original.

Australia makes cabernet and shiraz based wines that are the equal of the best in the world (perhaps in a different style though). The best Australian sparkling wines now approach the NV French wines in price, but do they match on quality?

The wines reviewed represent both some well known brands and some new releases. I was pleased with the overall quality, and the top wines definitely represent excellent value.

Reviewed

Deviation Road – Pinot Noir/Chardonnay – Brut – 2008 (17.5). More interesting and complex than most here, with fine apple fruit and subtle brioche and yeast. The palate is fine, delicate, elegant and refreshing. Good fruit and excellent balance. Not hugely complex, but good drinking. May develop in the short term. (With a RRP of $28.50 from the winery, this represents good value.)

Marri Wood Park Estate – Grandis – Chenin – Brut Reserve – 2007 (17.5). This wine is obviously different, and reflects the loire style of sparkling chenin blanc. Powerful nose with lemon, sherbet, talc and perfume. Complex and very long palate with serious fruit and a lovely mouth feel. Definitely something to try this summer. ($25 ex winery).

Wolf Blass – Pinot Noir/Chardonnay – Brut – Gold Label – 2006 (17.3). Some developed toastiness with a touch of honey. The palate is fine, elegant, quite complex and long. The honeyed character is there again on the finish. Enjoyable and sure to be good value.

Croser – Pinot Noir/Chardonnay – Brut – 2006 (16.9). A very fine wine that presents completely closed at present. This is clean and fresh but needs a few years to develop complexity and higher points. (Was certainly better the next night.)

Brown Brothers – Pinot Noir/Chardonnay – Brut – Patricia – 2004 (16.8). Brioche, toast and autolysis dominate the nose which is quite creamy. The palate is developed, generous and round. The acid builds on the close to add freshness.

Cosham – Pinot Noir – Brut – 2004 (16.8). Very developed colour and very fine mousse. The nose has developed still wine fruit characters. The palate is soft, round and developed. The mouth-feel and aftertaste are harmonious and there is enough acid to keep it fresh. An interesting style that is worth trying with food.

Pirie – Chardonnay/Pinot Noir – Brut – NV (16.6). Some obvious toast and yeasty characters lead the nose. The palate is rich but not quite together yet. A broad and powerful style. Challenging.

Kiss Chasey – Brut – Sparkling Pink – NV (16.5). Lifted fruit in the strawberry spectrum. Long and savoury, but without great complexity. Good value at under $15.

Riesling and Sparkling Wine

New Release

Reviewed: 18 January 2012

I was most surprised when the covers came of the sparkling wines from Jete during our panel tasting. Well made wines with enough interest to make for excellent drinking.

The highlights of the tasting came from the riesling brackets. The wines from Howard Park were superb, whilst the wines from Frankland Estate were the best that I can remember from this producer.

In both cases, it was fascinating to see how the different vineyards expressed themselves in the glass. If you are interested in holding an interesting tasting, then get the team from Frankland Estate to send you one of each of their current releases.

Reviewed – Sparkling

Jete – Chardonnay/Pinot Noir – Sparkling – NV (17). Clean and fresh, with some Granny Smith apple and some autolysis notes. Bready finish with plenty of acid to keep the balance. Sympathetic dosage adds to the enjoyment with good length to boot. A touch of bitterness on the finish works well.

Yarrabank – Pinot Noir/Chardonnay – Sparkling – 2007 (16.9). Darker colour tending to straw and a very fine bead suggest more bottle age here. Complex, round and balanced, this is a very good effort showing brioche, bread dough and a hint of honeyed development. Good mouth-feel and length. The finish is a touch dominated by the toast, but otherwise, this is a fine wine. Caramel notes to close further hint at some bottle age.

Jete – Rose – Sparkling – NV (16.8). Very pale colour here. This is round and soft with hints of red fruits and apple. Not particularly complex, but an enjoyable wine with good length.

Reviewed – Riesling

Frankland Estate – Riesling – Isolation Ridge – 2011 (18.5). Perfumed talc on the nose, with musk, pear and a hint of sherbet. The palate is superb, with fresh citrus and beautiful balance. The length is excellent and the finish near seamless. A lovely wine that will age gracefully.

Howard Park – Riesling – Porongurup – 2011 (18.5). Very pale colour, this is very undeveloped. Seamless, restrained, taut and balanced, this is a sublime wine of real class. Superb mouth-feel with great intensity and length. This will live for a very long time, developing character and richness as it goes.

Frankland Estate – Riesling – Poison Hill – 2011 (18). More chalky minerals with citrus and frangipani, this is very understated. The quality is obvious, but the wine is very shy. Again, the mouth-feel is excellent and the finish silky. Good length to close. Will only get better.

Howard Park – Riesling – Great Southern – 2011 (18). More forward, with obvious lemony fruit. The palate is zesty and very long. The finish is complex, the mouth-feel excellent and the flavours really linger. Very enjoyable now or in ten years. I would drink these while waiting for the Porongorup to hit its peak.

Frankland Estate – Riesling – Netley Road Vineyard – 2011 (17.8). Lovely nose that is both intense, yet reserved. The palate is reserved, and the acidity is the main feature now. There is citrus fruit in the background, but this needs time to come out. Very long indeed, a few years will do this the world of good.

Frankland Estate – Riesling – Rocky Gully – 2011 (17.5). Lovely lime fruit here. Slate, wet stone and hints of talc and floral notes add interest. On the palate there is fresh lime juice up front, but the finish is a highlight. Long, intense and balanced, this is near seamless. Great value.