Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This historic winery excels at sparkling Shiraz, a uniquely Aussie red bubbly style. This vintage is no exception, and despite having some bottle age it still feels fresh and vibrant. Heady scents of plum cake, chocolate, damp earth and wood spice lead to a palate that can feel disarmingly sweet if you’re not expecting it. In this case, though, the sweetness is nicely balanced by vigorous bubbles, crisp acidity and a firm grip of tannins. A raisiny plum flavor lingers. Drink with dried fruit or chocolate cake.
Made in a handful of wine regions across the globe, red sparkling wine ranges from delicately sweet to bone dry. While styles vary by region, red sparkling wine production methods are often the decision of the winemaker. For serving, cool red sparkling wine down to about 40F to 50F.
Nestled into the tip of its southeastern coastline, Victoria is Australia’s smallest mainland state, second most populous and third largest wine producer. Victoria includes the cool regions of Yarra Valley, Mornington Peninsula and Geelong, made famous mainly by impressive Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
The more inland Heathcote and Bendigo lead the way for complex and textured, full-bodied reds. Rutherglen’s fortified wines compete among the best on the planet.