Winetastic

It’s been a while since I popped open a bottle of sparking shiraz and I had been looking forward to trying this one from Vinecrest for a while. What better time to open it than the Australia day long weekend?

Juicy dark cherry and blackberry fruit flavours are kept in balance by subtle drying tannins and a little all spice. The bubbles are fine and not overly active, but provide a creamy chocolate character. Medium bodied with decent length, a good match with Beef Rogan Josh.

Although there is a bit of a question mark about the value for money at around $30 per bottle, this sparking shiraz is very easy drinking and moreish. Definitely the pick of the Vinecrest wines we have tried.

Score: 88/100
Price: $32
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 12.5%
Other Opinions: Vinecrest
Would I buy this wine?
No, questionable value for money

‘Gateway’ is the name of Peterson’s entry level sparkling wine from the Hunter Valley, it is made from 100% Semillon and impressed us at the cellar door for being very easy drinking and refreshing.

Petersons Gateway exhibits crisp and refreshing flavours of green apple, lemon and a hint of toast. Simple and very easy drinking, this wine has fine bubbles and is far better than the usual yeasty swill found at its price point.

The first bottle of this wine I purchased had cork seal issues and was basically flat. Petersons did the right thing, stating that they recently had a faulty batch of corks and replaced the bottle for no charge. They also plan to move to crown seals in the near future, at which time I will be even more inclined to purchase their excellent bubbles.

Score: 89/100
Price: $17.50
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 11.5%
Other Opinions: Peterson House
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, I wish it was available in bottle shops

Peterson House in the hunter valley are the only winery from the region to specialise in sparkling styles, they act as the winemaker for most of the sparkling wines produced in NSW, as well as selling their own label through the cellar door. At a tasting last weekend, the Peterson Sparkling Merlot 2004 was the pick of the reds.

Deep crimson in colour with fairly vigorous bubbles, the wine does not give much away in aromas, however depth and complexity of flavour are certainly not lacking. Berries, spices and an underlying earthy tone all come together with excellent balance.

I have found some sparkling reds turn to froth in the mouth, however I am glad to say is not the case with the Peterson sparkling Merlot. It was so good, both my glasses were gone in record time. Please sir, can I have some more?

Score: 8/10
Price: $27
Closure: Cork
Alcohol: 13.5%
Other Opinions: Peterson House
Would I buy this wine again?
A bit pricy for every day drinking, but great for a special occasion, im going to say yes.

Gemma and I have some very good news, we are now engaged to be married! Such an occasion cannot go by without some sparkling celebration, so based on a fine recommendation at Uncle Dan’s we picked up a couple of bottles of the Clover Hill 2001 sparkling from Tasmanian producer Taltarni.

Pale straw in colour with vigorous small bubbles. Distinct aromas of apple are present, the wine is extremely refreshing and well balanced, controlled acidity and minerality combine with a touch of fruit and toasty characters. Taltarni have further information about the wine available.

This is a truly enjoyable sparking wine, far better than any entry level or non vintage Champagne I have tasted. As a side note, a special bottling of this wine was served at the wedding of Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson in Denmark.

Score: 8/10
Price: $35
Closure: Cork
Would I buy this wine again?
Yes, this is a wine well suited for any special occasion.

During the first wine tour I ever took to the Hunter Valley, a small family owned producer named Tinklers gave me my first taste of sparkling red wine. Fast forward a few years and I was still yet to explore the possibilities of sparkling shiraz further, until today.

The Seppelt Original Sparkling Shiraz nearly took my head off when removing the cork, this was indeed one feisty bottle of bubbly. On the nose, the wine had clear shiraz characters of dark fruits and some spices, so far so good. However in the mouth I found it far too frothy, as if I was sucking the head off a schooner of beer. The finish was pleasant enough and fairly long, once again showing typical shiraz characters. If you are after a list of flavours that somebody else detected, why not try the Seppelt website tasting notes.

This is a wine that was definitely better when paired with food, this time around a vegetarian lasagne. I always enjoy nearly losing an eye when opening a bottle of wine, however the style did not really grab me and demand further attention. On a side note, demand your sparkling reds are closed with a crown seal, not a cork. This will ensure the bottle is exactly as the producer intended and free of any possible cork taint.

Score: 6/10
Would I buy this wine again?
For around $15 this number is touted as excellent value for money and I am sure those who enjoy the style consider it to be a great midweek quaffer. I probably will not be buying this one again, however if you have never tried a sparkling red before I encourage you to grab a bottle and have a go!