Much more sophisticated than its price suggests, Ninth Island is not only the best fizz under $20 this year ($19 at Kemenys), it might also rank among the best I’ve ever tasted at this price. There’s no indication of age on the label, but the youthful cork in the bottle I tasted in Tasmania indicated […]
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Ninth Island and Jansz are your vivacious apéritif non vintage go-tos, and Bay of Fires is to be reserved for altogether different purposes. BOF is a full-bodied, rich sparkling of main course proportions. Salmon, roast chicken and turkey, here we come! Three years on lees have nurtured a creamy and soft style, layered with bready, […]
readA wonderfully crafted rosé, the current disgorgement ranks among the best for this label. It’s long and refined, with an undercurrent of gentle mineral texture, contrasting the taut finesse of pure lemon blossom, crunchy red apple and pear with the subtle brioche complexity built over two years of lees ageing. A bargain at $20 at […]
readPipers Brook has long been responsible for the excellent Kreglinger and exciting Ninth Island sparkling wines, and this cuvée slots neatly in between, in price, age and stature. Never have I seen it more impressively poised or seamlessly harmonious than the current disgorgement. It captures the lemon zest vibrancy of cool Tasmanian fruit and seamlessly […]
readWe don’t drink nearly as much sparkling rosé in Australia than our friends in the US and UK. They’re on to something, and we’re missing out, perhaps because rosé champagne is typically (and unfairly) 30% more expensive than its white counterpart. Enter Jansz, where not only is the rosé line priced but both are on […]
readOn the weight of evidence of recent tastings, 2008 was an excellent season for sparkling in Tasmania. Surprising, because it was not only hot and dry but also the state’s highest yielding vintage yet. Champagne yields huge volumes, so perhaps there’s something in that? Jansz builds biscuity, bready complexity and silky, buttery seamlessness by fermenting […]
readClaudio Radenti started making his cult sparkling wine at Freycinet two decades ago, but lack of demand shut production down between 2002 and 2011. He has now recommenced production at a miniscule 500 dozen. When I visited recently he opened every vintage back to 1993 and, pending a good cork, I was stunned by the […]
readJansz winemaker Natalie Fryar is the most sensitive creator of sparkling rosé I know outside the hallowed halls of Champagne itself. She embarked on the rosé trail a decade ago and spent the first three years thinking about how she’d do it, settling on a method that’s more than unusual and yet remarkably successful. While […]
readWhat impresses me most about Arras mastermind Ed Carr is that in spite of his clear talent and success, he’s always listening, forever learning, and constantly refining his craft. I’ve found his style a little sweet at times, but this is changing, and his 2005 comes in at a low 7.1g/L of dosage, a gram […]
readChardonnay is the core of Jansz, Natalie Fryar has long aspired to make a “pinnacle” chardonnay, and the “cracker” 2007 vintage presented the opportunity, “a vintage in which you look like a hero just by showing up!” Capturing the character of a riper year in its intense fruit expression, this is a creamy, lemony, brioche-accented […]
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