Elegance is the hardest yet most critical character to achieve in sparkling wine, and it was my belief that the natural intensity of the Orange region did not lend itself to sparkling wines of subtle grace – an opinion that was dashed when Printhie winemaker Drew Tuckwell showed me a sneak preview of his brand new Swift cuvées some years ago. This is a refined, aperitif style sparkling wine of elegant, subtle grapefruit and lemon fruit, brushed with soft lees complexity and the subtle biscuit nuances of bottle age. It’s softly textural, with well-integrated dosage and elegant poise. As a delicate Australian sparkling wine, it’s pretty good. As a first attempt, it’s very impressive. Stay tuned, there’s more to come. $40 direct.