Sparkling Good Times: The Drinks Trade Annual Champagne and Sparkling Panel Tasting

This article was written by David Messum, Winemaker and Industry Consultant, for Drinks Trade Spring Edition.

In 2023, Australia's Champagne and sparkling wine category continues to show resilience despite the headwinds of cost-of-living pressures. Long celebrated as a symbol of luxury and festivity, these effervescent delights have entrenched themselves in the hearts of Australian consumers, becoming an integral part of various celebrations and social gatherings, whether it’s with a bottle of Champagne, Prosecco or domestic sparkling.

Australia’s sparkling wine imports from all countries decreased by 9 per cent in volume but increased by 4 per cent in value at the year-end to June 2023, compared with the previous 12-month period. (Wine Australia – Imports Monitor)

Champagne recorded stellar growth in 2022 in Australia, hitting 10.5 million bottles for the first time, up 6% on 2021. However, the recent export figures from Comité Champagne show global exports dropping in the first six months of 2023 by 4.7% compared to the same period in 2022. Are we finally going to see Australia’s perpetual love of Champagne wane? Unlikely, especially when you consider the range of producers, styles, and price points now available in the market.

Whilst the total off-premise wine market is seeing declines of 0.7% in value and 1.9% in volume in the last 12 months, sparkling wine outperformed the wine segment overall, accounting for 14.2 per cent of sales by value and growing by 2.4 per cent in value whilst declining in volume by 0.4 in Year Ending 4 June 2023. (Circana Liquor Outlook). Further proof, we are drinking less, but better.

Australia's Champagne and sparkling wine category in 2023 is a vibrant and dynamic landscape characterised by innovation, diversity, and a shifting consumer landscape. From traditional Champagne-style wines to innovative local variations, the Australian market offers a plethora of options for any drinking occasion. Whether toasting to a special milestone or simply savouring everyday moments, sparkling wines have solidified their position as an integral part of the Australian wine culture.

Our expert panel tasted all wines blind in pairs to the 100-point system, looking for standouts within each category. All gold medal wines, high silver medals or the highest score within a category are listed. 

Our Expert Panel
David Messum - Winemaker/Industry Consultant
Zoe Brunton – Head Sommelier Lill Sis (Solotel)
Matt Dunne – Group Wine Ambassador Joval Wines|
Sarah Andrew – Business Development Manager WSET ANZ
Christine Ricketts – Endeavour Wine Education Specialist 
Matt Irwin – Business Development Advisor WSET ANZ
Ashley Pini – Editor & Publisher Hip Media

AUSTRALIAN PROSECCO

Redbank – Rose Prosecco – Victoria RRP $23
Silver 92 Pts
Citrus fruit and white florals on the nose. Good acidity, fresh, balanced fruit and creamy mousse. ZB
Super fresh, zingy acid line, well-integrated bubble. Pear juice. Fine and fresh. Yum but not really pink. DM

Buller Wines – The Nook - Prosecco – RRP $25 
Silver 92 pts
Marked white florals, elegant green fruit nose. Notable acidity, good fruit, medium length. Showing marked complexity for its category. ZB
Lifted fresh-cut apple spritzy vibe. Very light in palate weight, fresh, vapoury and thirst quenching. Sure, it’s simple, but very drinkable.

ITALIAN PROSECCO

Corte Giara - Prosecco Treviso DOC – IT - $34
Silver 93 Pts
Clean, fresh, lifted white florals on the nose. Classy creamy, fine mousse. No SodaStream bubbles here. Punching well above its weight. DM

AUSTRALIAN NV BRUT

Mumm – Tasmania Brut - $39.99
Silver 93 Pts
Autolytic, lees, brioche, apple. Balanced and interesting notes. Good layers, balanced and long. Nice balance of autolytic notes with lees and fruit. CR
Fine perlage, creamy, toasty notes, stone fruit on the nose.  Dried apricots, custard, mouth-coating fine bubbles, lingering dried stone fruits. MI

Yarra Burn – Premium Cuvée Brut - $15.99
Silver 92 Pts
Toast and stone fruit, lemon zest nose. Off-dry, balancing acid, fruity, toast autolytics. A good party starter. CR
Mint leaf, lemon peel, fresh dough. A pleasant surprise. Fine bubbles, tastes better than the aroma, textural that rounds out palate. MI

AUSTRALIAN VINTAGE BRUT

Croser – Vintage Sparkling 2019 - Piccadilly Valley SA - $42
Gold 95 Pts
Broad autolytic palate. Nice red fruit. Acid keeps it clean and fresh. Complex, layered. The structure is precise. Good balance of texture, flavour and acidity. ZB
Autolytic, bready nose, baked apples, some spice. Fine acid line and bead. Persistent. Lots to bring you back. DM

Croser – Late Disgorged 2006 - Piccadilly Valley SA - $67
Gold 95 Pts
Rich, complex and mouth-filling. Superfine bead leads to vinous wine, full of flavour and depth. Autolytic, sweet red fruits on the nose. Very good. DM
The palate is broad in its fruit, dosage seems a bit heavier. Big bolder fruit. Everything is more pronounced and lacking some freshness, but that’s the style. ZB

House of Arras - Grand Vintage 2015 – TAS - $119
Silver 94 Pts
Floral, lemon citrus, fresh bright autolytics. Balanced ripe lemon citrus to dosage, bitter pithy finish. Balanced fruit and autolytic characters. Nose less pronounced. Enjoyed. ZB
Sweet ripe pear and frangipani notes on the nose. Buttery croissant autolytics and citrus zest on the palate. Fine bead, touch hollow in middle. Bitter almond finish and great acid length. DM

AUSTRALIAN BLANC de BLANCS

Howard Park – Petit Jete Brut Blanc de Blancs NV – WA - $ 25
Gold 96 Pts
Pale with golden hues and small bead. Green apple/pear plus lovely autolytic overlay on the nose. Super dry with crunchy acidity upfront, tightly wound with driving acidity. Persistent finish with complexity. SA
Complex nose of ripe peach, brioche, and other autolytic notes. Juicy complexity - nectarine, honeysuckle, ginger, jasmine, brioche. Exotic meets decadent texture. Yum! MD

House of Arras – Blanc de Blanc 2015 – TAS – RRP – $40
Silver 92 Pts
Lemon curd vibrancy, juicy but succulent. Clean, lots of aromatic lift and florals to draw you in then some grit and density with freshness and grassy notes. MD
Pale with a golden hue - tightly wound with a slightly sour note mid-palate that shows green and yellow fruits - persistent finish. A leaner style. SA

AUSTRALIAN ROSÉ

Ashton Hills – Vintage Rosé 2019 – SA - RRP $40
Silver 93 Pts
Pale with generous mousse quick to fall away - red fruits strawberry and cherry with florals and delicate autolysis. Off-dry with dosage supporting elevated acid. Creamy mid-palate and persistent finish. SA
Smokey red fruits (cherry) with liquorice and wild blackberry. Dry and clean with solid structure and length. Energy and vibrancy in spades! MD

BOTTLE FERMENTED

Louis Pommery – England NV – UK – RRP $65
Silver 93 Pts
Autolytic notes of toast & fresh fruits. Mouth-filling, with good acid balance and length. A crowd pleaser. CR
Fine and persistent bubble. Buttered toast, whole grains, cooked citrus. Yummy! Slight sweet edge balances acidity. Lemon & lime curd. Biscuity and pastry. Enticing. MI

Louis Bouillot Perle d'Ivoire Blanc de Blancs Brut NV – Crémant Bourgogne – FR – RRP $42 
Silver 92 Pts
Fresh, zesty citrus and melon. Zesty acidity, fruit salad bowl, mouth-filling yet elegant. Very easy drinking, moderate length. CR
Light, citrus, fine perlage. Citrus fruits, sherbet, bright and prickly. Easy drinking and not too serious. MI

CHAMPAGNE NV BRUT

Bollinger – Special Cuvée – FR – RRP $97
Gold 96 Pts
Fresh autolytics, fresh lemon/grapefruit, Great acid and balanced higher dosage. Great toasty vibes, loads of fresh fruit, very balanced. ZB
Cultured Butter, on toasted teacake. Lifted caramelised apple and custard. Fine, firm bead…Great acidity well integrated. Citrus and pithy back palate keeps it fresh, with acid verve to a long finish. DM

Taittinger - Brut Réserve - FR – RRP $90
Gold – 95 Pts
Pronounced baked autolytics, a bit of spice, baked citrus. A firm mousse carries the wine, chalky phenolics, complex. A delicious balance of fruit and autolytic style. Perfect inbetweener of different styles. ZB
Light Yellow, gold. Autolytic, red fruits and spice on the nose. More is happening here. Fine, firm bead leads to a solid acid line that’s perhaps a little hard. Super long line and length. Sheer class. DM

Duval-Leroy – Brut Reserve – FR – RRP $70
Gold – 95 Pts
Autolytic driven, floral, frangipani, green apple skin. depth of flavour, almonds, citrus fruit drives, fresh and clean. everything is in check and harmonious. ZB
Brioche, rum baba nose. Pithy, chalky lemon-scented butter on the palate. Great bead, fine but firm, juicy and textural/mineral. Vinous finish. V good. DM

Monopole Heidsieck Co – Blue Top – FR – RRP $65
Silver 94 Pts
Baked green fruit, brioche, white florals, fresh stone fruit. Enjoyable persistent bead, carries the fruit, good length. Balanced texture and dosage, soft phenolics. ZB
Toasty, bready with fresh yeast and lemon pith. Medium bead, touch too persistent. Medium acid line, chalky and textural. Like it, if a hole in the mid-palate. DM

CHAMPAGNE NV ROSÉ

Bollinger – Rosé – FR – RRP $150
Gold 96 Pts
Pale with a lovely pink hue - tiny persistent bead - cherries, raspberries and strawberries on the nose. Dry with lovely red fruit medley and driving acidity, keeping mouthfeel fresh. Delicious generous style. SA
Screaming red florals - juicy raspberry, red cherry, liquorice, violet. Epic line and length, darker scented palate. Great drinking with a lick of toastiness! MD

Ayala – Rosé Majeur – FR – RRP $100
Silver 94 Pts
An elegant framework here. Some succulence on the palate with a lovely redcurrant crunch, mouth-watering. Generous and complex. MD
Medium intensity with pink/orange hue - tiny bead - strawberry with rhubarb on nose and hint of white pepper. Dry with the lovely vibrancy of fruit, showing freshness and generosity. A bigger style rosé. SA

CHAMPAGNE VINTAGE BRUT

Bollinger – La Grande Annee 2014 – FR – RRP $279
Gold 98 Pts
Navel oranges, pink grapefruit, bread dough, lightly browned bread crust. creamy, driven, persistent. so much going on, with interwoven fruit, mandarin, and orange with a toasty creamy finish. MI
Creamy, with good acid balance, layers of fruit fresh and aged notes emerging. Mouth-filling, elegant yet robust, lingers. Delightful, balanced with age and youth showing harmoniously. CR

Pommery – Louise 2005 – FR - RRP $395
Gold 96 Pts
Autolytic, caramelised apple, spice, honey and minerality. Balanced, mouth-filling, layered fruit, lees, ageing. Great fruit and autolytic layers, precise acid drive. Long. CR
Interesting toasty, brioche, mandarin, peaches, buttered toast notes. Chalky texture. A lovely, broad, creamy style that coats the mouth. Long finish leaving toasty notes for ages. MI

Pommery – Grand Royal 2009 – FR - RRP $169
Gold 95 Pts
Toast, buttery, wholemeal toasted bread. Bright, crispy, energetic. A lighter style, elegant. Lemon & navel oranges. Talcy, soft mouth feel with driven acidity. MI
Burnt butter, apple, lees, toast. Fresh with complex aged notes, long finish. Both are fresh and well-structured but also evolving from age. CR

Moet & Chandon – Grand Vintage 2015 – FR – RRP $115
Silver 94pts
Toast, preserved citrus, honey and nougat. Crisp and fresh palate lead with apple and citrus. Balanced and clean, subtle layers on the moderate finish. CR
Creamy, lacking a little drive, falls short of expectation. Smokey, flinty notes add interest but covers fruit at this stage. Falls off too quickly to be outstanding. Give it siix months. MI

CHAMPAGNE BLANC de BLANCS

Ayala – Blanc de Blancs 2016 – FR – RRP $130
Gold 96 Pts
Pale with a golden hue and fine bead - tightly wound nose and palate shows green and yellow fruits with nashi pear a highlight. Creamy mid-palate and racy finish, drive, poise and length. SA
Bold perfume of honeysuckle, white peach, chamomile, and brioche. Clean, refreshing palate with nectarine, toast and lemony acidity. MD

Fourny & Fils – Blanc de Blancs NV - FR – RRP $75
Gold 95 Pts
Pale lemon with scattered bubbles and lovely citrus/green fruits, and a hint of toasty oatmeal. Tight and racy palate.  Elevated chalky acidity with a lovely medley of fruits and autolytic notes - persistent long finish. SA
Hallmark aromas of wet stone, white peach and melon. Clean, dry with refreshing, chalky acidity. MD

CHAMPAGNE BLANC de NOIRS

Bollinger – PN AYC 18 – FR RRP $225
Gold 96 Pts
Rich fruited nose, toasty, red fruit, sultana. Bubble fine, if a touch broad. Firm acidity, chalky, minerality. Talcy long line. Waves of red fruit, citrus, brioche and red apple keep sliding back. Compelling. DM
Red fruit, baked red apple, almost salted mushrooms. Good length, baked red apple, mousse falls slightly. Dosage might be a touch high for the acidity. Finishes a touch sweet. ZB

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