Holiday Sparkling Pack
So much to celebrate this holiday season and for all of us living south of the equator it means warm weather perfect for all kinds of bubbles.
We thought then, that this was the perfect time to offer a pack of 6 fantastic sparkling wines that are all a little bit different, a lot of fun and whole a lot of delicious.
While it sounds a little cliché we really do have something for everyone and something for every occasion.
To start, what sparkling pack would it be without the real deal and we made sure we included one of the greatest grower Champagnes with Pierre Peters Blanc de Blanc. From Italy a method traditional Prosecco from one of the craziest cats in Italy and from the heartland of Prosecco that you can crack anytime you want, it’s super versatile and easy to please.
Closer to home we have four brilliant sparkling’s. Tasmania, the home of great Aussie bubbles represents with the Delamere Cuvee NV made with a Pinot and Chardonnay blend and some extended lees ageing. From Victoria, the other home of bubbles, we have the Dominique Portet Sparkling Rose and the Deeds Not Words. The former is one of our favourite home grown sparklers and is utterly smashable, we just love it!
The latter is a great project from the crew at HEROE’s in the Ottways. Another Rose sparkling but not only is it delicious but $5 from every bottle sold is donated to Share The Dignity, a charity supporting Australian women in crisis. Great job HEROE’s.
And lucky last is one of course a sparkling shiraz from Bleasedale. Needless to say, what would Christmas in Australia be without one? Hot day, nice and cold this just hits the spot. Perfect with a bit of grilled ham or a plate of salty cured meats – yum!
So there you go, what more can we say? Enjoy!
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100% Chardonnay
Rodolphe Péters took over the reins of this venerable estate in the southern Côte des Blancs in 2008, becoming the fourth generation to lead since the estate was founded in 1919. Today, the estate is over 18 hectares of vineyards, with a majority of the vineyards in the grand cru of Les Mesnil-sur-Oger.
Rodolphe's wines have cult status around the world and his skills as chef de cave have few equals. The subtle, sleek and elegant wines are marked by their fine acidity and prominent minerality, yet never come off as austere or thin, they are vibrant, alive, and perfectly balanced. PWS
A precise, crystalline wine, the NV Brut Cuvée de Réserve is the perfect wine with which to explore the Péters Champagnes. Lemon peel white, flowers and slate are super-expressive throughout in a Champagne that impresses with its finely-sculpted personality and energy. The Cuvée de Réserve is quite powerful, but never heavy. Slightly tropical overtones add the final shades of nuance. The Cuvée de Réserve draws on fruit sources outside Mesnil. It remains one of the best values in artisan Champagne. ANTONIO GALLONI
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Traditional Method Italian Bubbles
The Bellenda crew are a bunch of crazy cats trying to start a small revolution in Prosecco. They are hell-bent on upping the quality. Firstly the property is located in the DOCG zone on the hills surrounding Carpesica, the heart of quality in the region, where as the bulk standard prosecco you see littering shelves all over the world tends to be grown down on the flats outside of the traditional area.
Umberto is very quick to make a couple points, they are organic and have been since before it was a fashion statement and a marketing tool. They drastically restrict the yields, Glera in particular is very vigorous and this allows those mass producing Prosecco to achieve yields that should make a wine grower blush.
They also use traditional method production compared to the usual tank method employed by most wineries. The result is a much finer and delicate prosecco with plenty of flavour and fine,
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Tassie Bubbles from Pinot and Chardonnay
Perfumed and pretty on the nose but then racy on the palate. It feels like a low-dosage style. Strawberries, lime blossom, grapefruit and lemon rind. It all sizzles out through the finish, with length to burn. CAMPBELL MATTINSON, the winefront
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Yarra Valley Sparkling Rose NV
The grapes for this traditional-method sparkling came from two elevated vineyards (325m) in the Upper Yarra.The grapes are handpicked, gently pressed and fermented before going through secondary fermentation in bottle. The wine was then aged for two years in cool, temperature-controlled cellars, then disgorged and given a light dosage prior to release.
This is a traditional method blend of 50% pinot noir, 30% chardonnay and 20% pinot meunier, all grown in the Yarra Valley. Held on lees for 2 years prior to disgorgement and a light dosage. A totally delicious and elegantly poised wine, with fresh red fruits of every description dancing around on the bouquet and palate alike, the finish harmonious. JAMES HALLIDAY
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Sparkling Rose
100% organically grown (currently working towards certification), with no synthetic pesticides use striving to go further than this and reduce even 'allowed' organic inputs to an absolute minimum. This involves a holistic approach to all aspects of farming which may include some slightly unconventional techniques.
The work in the vineyard allows the them to make wines with minimal intervention, naturally reflecting the site or terroir.
The Deeds Not Words sparkling Rose is made in the traditional method, bottle fermented and aged on lees for nine months. A golden, pink colour it looks so nice in the glass. Light red fruits and lightly toasty nose leads into a fine and punchy pallet. Lovely persistent bead and eminently drinkable.
Beside being delicious $5 from every bottle sold is donated to Share The Dignity, a charity supporting Australian women in crisis. -
Sparkling Shiraz
TYSON STELZER"S SPARKLING WINE OF THE YEAR UNDER $25
The same blend that has wone a beloved place among the most legendary of Australia's bargain sparkling reds. All the plush, spicy mulberry and blackberry fruits of Langhorne Creek are enveloped into its fold, laced with pepper and a wonderful greengage tang.
Impeccably managed, fine tannins, lively acidity and just the right level of dosage unite harmoniously on a finish of line, length and integrity completely unexpected at this price.
It's a downright delicious drink - and begs the question of why there aren't more sparkling red made in Langhorne Creek. TYSON STELZER