Another Saturday, another tasting! 34 aspiring sparkling wine aficionados gathered in the heat of a Perth autumn to bravely work their way through six sparkling wines. Our host, Sharlene, thoughtfully provided Bellini’s (in the sparkling theme) the get the show on the road and then it was straight into the Santa Margherita Prosecco, which turned out to be one of the crowd favourites.
A light and fruity wine with peach, white blossom and apple, on both nose and palate. Clean finish (and cleanly finished!) and was generally agreed that it will make it onto future cheese and charcuterie menus.
Next up the Mauzac dominant Blanquette de Limoux that had the bargain hunters squabbling for more! One of the best value traditional method sparkling wines around this had deciduous fruit nose and lemon on the palate. Creamy with gentle autolytic characteristics -and clean finish.
The move to the lucky country was not with controversy. The Tasmanian Georg Jensen (a Heemskerk wine) divides the punters, many of whom thought it was over-priced and over rated. Once you knock $10 off for the elegant champagne stopper I believe it displays fair value for wonderfully restrained (chardonnay dominant) traditional method sparkling. 98 points it is not, but good acidity, citrus dominant with a soft, chalky feel I think that the crowd was a touch harsh…
The chardonnay only Charles Orban followed and judging by the level and pitch of conversation, things were getting well oiled. The champagne lovers enjoyed this one and generally agreed that we had made it into the adults only section of the event. From Troissy, this had all the hallmarks of a blanc de blanc, some peach, brioche, butter with a fine petillance.
Wrapping up the formal tasting was the sublime 2006 Moet, a favourite for the hardened Francophiles but not enjoyed by those who prefer a lighter touch. This was an excellent wine, ripened fruits with a hint of pepper on the nose, citrus on the palate (nectarine), maybe some elements of the pinot’s coming though too. Creamy mouthfeel, complex with many moving parts. Just awesome!
By this stage it was time to finish off with an old favourite, the Arras Brut Elite. But there was little point in tasting at this stage as most palates were well marinated!
All prices Dan Murphy’s in a six bottle pack.
| Wine | Varietal / Type | Year | Rating | Cost |
| Santa Margherita Prosecco Di Valdobbiadene | Glera | NV | 96 | $14.90 |
| Saint-Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux Brut | Mauzac | NV | 93 | $13.90 |
| Georg Jensen Hallmark Cuvée | Chardonnay / Pinot Noir | NV | 98 | $36.09 |
| Champagne Charles Orban Blanc de Blancs | Chardonnay | NV | 95 | $38.90 |
| Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage | Chardonnay / Pinot Noir / Petit Meunier | 2006 | 95 | $74.95 |
| Arras Brut Elite | Chardonnay / Pinot Noir | NV | 96 | $33.30 |