GRAND CRU (PERTH) TASTING GROUP – SPARKLING WINES 27 SEPTEMBER 2017

[Waiters Friend]

Grand Cru has been meeting for at least 3 years now, yet, in all that time, I don’t think we have done a Sparkling Wine tasting. For this tasting, there were no restrictions, apart from that the wine must sparkle. Country of origin, grape varieties, vintage – all unimportant.

So, we ended up with four varied whites – and five sparkling shiraz from Australia! We hit the whites first.

Louis Roederer NV (Champagne, France): Pale yellow in colour. A delightful nose with modest yeasty notes, lemon zest, glace` ginger, and honeysuckle. The nose is perfumed / a little floral and complex. The palate shows zippy acid, a fine but persistent mousse, more lemon pith and white peach and green apple skins. The wine finishes long and dry.

Simonnet Febvre NV (Cremant de Bourgogne). Very pale yellow. The nose is delicate and fragrant, with ricotta cheese, white peach alongside some salinity and minerality. The bead is fine, with high acid, some primary fruit and very light yeast. Some tasters considered this a touch short, and the wine definitely shows a light touch.

Gramona Gran Riserva Imperial (Spain) 2010: This vintage cava surprised a few tasters. Very pale yellow in colour, Some yeast and salinity on the nose, along with white grapefruit, lemon pith and lemon meringue pie. There’s also high acid and waxy lemon. This is a lighter bodied aperitif style, with a frothy bead and fine savoury palate. Described as “feminine” and “elegant”.

Yelland and Papps Vermentino 2015 (Barossa Valley).: This has a big nose, with yeast, lemon zest, peaches and strawberry. The palate shows lots of big bubbles (otherwise known as coarse mousse), lemon pith, more savoury and yeasty notes, and some butterscotch. Very high acid, and a broad mid palate following a mostly absent front palate. Interesting, but not favoured by the group.

The white sparkling of the night was voted on at this point, and it was the Louis Roederer NV.

O’Leary Walker “The Great Eastern” Sparkling Shiraz NV (Clare Valley). Red purple in colour. Very light for a sparkling shiraz – the nose is confectioned, with raspberry, allspice, cured meats, sour cherry and a touch of savouriness. The palate shows light red fruits including redcurrants, modest tannins, high acid, slight alcohol heat and a degree of complexity. The word “restrained” was mentioned.

Moppity “Lock and Key” Reserve Shiraz 2013 (Hilltops, NSW): Deep purple in colour. A big nose of mulberry, black fruits, and leather. The palate is more interesting, with light but chalky tannins, chickory, meats, and chocolate leading to a moderate finish.

Paringa Sparkling Shiraz 2012 (South Australia) – not the Yarra Valley Paringa. Deep purple in colour. Rich nose, with Christmas cake, black cherry, cola, rum balls, dates and sticky prunes. The palate is also rich, with dark chocolate, supporting tannins and good palate weight and viscosity, leading to a long finish. The dosage was possibly too sweet, and the group considered this to be a good match for Christmas turkey or white meats.

Whicher Ridge Redtail Sparkling Shiraz 2009 (Frankland River WA): Deep purple. A “pretty” nose, with blueberries, mocha, chocolate, leather, warmed chestnuts, juicy red cherries, red Allen’s lollies and rose petal (?). The palate continued the blue fruits and milk chocolate, cracked black pepper, oregano, and tomato. There’s a velvety mousse, leading to a long finish. This is a complex wine, with a great mid palate and some elegance. One taster commented “Nebbiolo-like?”

Thorpe Wines Shiraz 2006 (McLaren Vale, SA): Deep purple in colour. Tar, roses, violets, and toffee over dark developed fruits. The palate is developed, savoury, meaty, some cola and fruit sweetness, black olives, and salinity. Good supporting acid leads to a long fi9nish.

Wine of the night was the Louis Roederer NV, while the Whicher Ridge and O’Leary Walker scored honourable mentions. Definitely an interesting tasting with a few surprises, and one that we may repeat in a year or two.

Cheers
Allan