Château de Sours Réserve de Sours Sparkling Rosé NV
I’m not sure how active the market is for French sparklers at this price point; certainly, I don’t remember ever setting out to purchase a sparking wine from Bordeaux made from Cabernet Sauvignon and...
View ArticleStefano Lubiana Brut Reserve NV
The world of moderately priced Australian sparkling wine can be mouth-puckering in its disappointment, so I’m always on the lookout for good wines at prices cheaper than low-end Champagne. My go-to...
View ArticleMitchell Harris Sabre Vintage 2008
This has been a long time in the making. I remember talking with John Harris about it a couple of years ago and, even though it was a long way off release, I sensed his excitement. And I feel excited...
View ArticleStefano Lubiana Vintage Brut 2004
This makes an interesting companion piece to the Mitchell Harris Sabre tasted recently. Similar ballpark in terms of pricing, but utterly different expressions of Australian sparkling wine. Where the...
View ArticlePerrier-Jouët Belle Epoque 1985
The bottle is indeed very pretty. To the wine’s appearance first, there’s little mousse apparent on pouring and a reticent bead thereafter; this certainly looks an aged wine. Colour is honey-gold with...
View ArticleJ.L. Vergnon Brut Conversation NV
A blanc de blancs made from Grand Cru fruit, this is one of a series of reasonably priced grower Champagnes I’ve been having of late, and one of the tastiest, too. Fruit comes from three villages — Le...
View ArticleLaherte Frères Blanc de Blancs Brut Nature NV
Disgorged 04/2012. A photograph of soil underpinned by chalk on this wine’s label certainly makes the point; Laherte Frères positions as a grower-maker wishing to express terroir in its Champagnes. As...
View ArticleStefano Lubiana Vintage Brut 2005
As I sit here jet-lagged and generally puzzled to be back in my study in Brisbane, I resort to sparkling wine to inject levity and the spectre of some kind of celebration into my evening. This wine is...
View ArticleMitchell Harris Sabre Vintage 2010
The second release of Mitchell Harris’s sparking wine, this has credentials that stretch back far beyond the establishment of this label. Indeed, John Harris brings a wealth of experience as former...
View ArticleChandon Brut Rosé
Indian sparkling wine courtesy of Moët Hennessy. I’ve had a dreadful run of Indian red wines, with many exhibiting wild technical faults that render them basically undrinkable. Whites and rosés,...
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