TN Bleasdale Sparkling Shiraz (NV)

[John #11]

Dense, plummy, rich and delicious.
Nary a hint of sweetness, just some juvenile leather notes, and the complexity of a $50 SS.

A class above the Seppelts OSS (vintage).

They should vintage this, and ask a few dollars more!

$15-18
13% alcohol
high quality cork / cage

Drink now, or within 5 years.

Excellent. 92/100

[griff]

I agree it is very good (as good as Seppelt Original in the better vintages) but not as good as SS in the $50 bracket.

cheers

Carl

[pstarr]

John, I have to disagree here. The Bleasdale is decent sparkling red in its price bracket, and has an attractive profile of mulberry fruit, but is no better than that (for my tastes), and does come across a bit sweet. I drank several bottles of it alongside the settling-well 2004 vintage of the Seppelt's Original Sparkles while in Adelaide this Christmas. With groups including some keen red bubbles drinkers, the Bleasdale was enjoyed but the 2004 Seppelt OSS was preferred.

It is then a very long way from there to reach the complexity, depth, length and interest of top-tier Australian sparkling shiraz. This includes good bottles of the Seppelt Show, Leasingham Classic Clare, the Joseph from Primo Estate, Rockfords, Melton's etc. Not to mention the emerging mid-range options, such as the excellent first release of the Seppelt Silverband, or the first Pondalowie red bubbles release.

[ChrisV]

I have also found the Bleasdale pretty sweet. I much preferred the 04 Seppelt's but have tasted the 05 and am a bit dubious.

[John #11]

Thanks guys.

I perhaps should have said I've had a few in the cellar for about 1 year, and they have improved significantly, particularly losing some of the early sweetness that you mention.

John

[mattECN]

Dense, plummy, rich and delicious.
Nary a hint of sweetness, just some juvenile leather notes, and the complexity of a $50 SS.

A class above the Seppelts OSS (vintage).

They should vintage this, and ask a few dollars more!

$15-18
13% alcohol
high quality cork / cage

Drink now, or within 5 years.

Excellent. 92/100

I like it too. I tried it at cellar door a while ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

[ChrisV]

Yeah a lot of red bubbles seem to have a tendency to lose sweetness with a year or two in the cellar. The Seppelt's 04 was the same - I drank several of them young and enjoyed them, but one that I left until recently had really shaped up, less overtly sweet - drinking beautifully.

The Karatta Sparkling Shiraz Cabernet, which just took second place in sparkling wines (top sparkling red) in Winestate's WOTY contest, is the same - a bit cloyingly sweet right now. I have a couple of them left and intend to leave them for a year or so to see if they can pull off the same trick.