Time To Sparkle
A toast to local sparkling wines.
Natalie Fryar, one of Australia’s top sparkling-wine makers, has released her first sparkling wine, a rosé, under the Bellebonne label. It’s an elegant, sophisticated Tasmanian fizz, made solely from Pipers River pinot noir. It has a pale pink hue, beautiful fine bead (bubbles) and a long, refined palate, with a mix of lemon, faint red apple and quince flavours overlaying a subtle savoury base.
To be an exceptional sparkling-wine maker, you need considerable attention to detail. You also need to be somewhat of a soothsayer. This is because many of the characters of fine sparkling wine lie hidden for years.
One starts by making base wine that is tight and primary, though it must have the capacity to transform with time in the bottle. After the secondary fermentation, while ageing in the presence of yeast, the wine appears to be in suspended animation. But as the yeast cells slowly break down, they release flavour and aroma precursors into the wine. These interact with grape-derived elements to create layers of subtle flavours. Eventually, the bubbles become smaller and the palate appears rounder.
You can’t make sparkling wine overnight. Fruit must be carefully selected, the base wine aged in old oak and then lees-aged for at least two years. The cost is a little more than other wine styles, but the pleasure can be greater, too. Sparkling wines must be sipped slowly in order to fully appreciate the layers and subtleties.
Wines such as Bellebonne, and those mentioned below, are made in small quantities and stocked only in select retailers and restaurants. Ordering online, direct from the producer, is the best way to source them. For the 2015 Bellebonne Natalie Fryar Vintage Rosé, $65, go to bellebonne.wine. #
Tasting notes 2013 CHANDON VINTAGE BRUT ROSÉ, $39 Sunset hues with bright lemon and dried strawberry aromas. The palate is generous and creamy, with excellent composure and acidity. NV CENTENNIAL VINEYARDS BLANC DE NOIRS, $40 True to style, with excellent back-palate intensity. Toasted brioche with hints of butter and nuts. Deliciously savoury. 2009 PIRIE VINTAGE
BLANC DE BLANCS, $58 A bright, long, lemony palate with appealing toastiness and nuttiness from age. 2008 HOUSE OF ARRAS BLANC DE BLANCS, $86 Extraordinary depth, richness and complexity. Bright golden hues with hints of honey, citrus and sweet-scented blossoms.