Pommery Brut Royal NV
92 points; $55; from Vintage Cellars

I’VE tasted this three times in recent weeks and it has consistently impressed on all three outings. It stands out in a line-up for its intensity of flavour, poise and structure. There are rich, nutty, toasty aromas and ripe peach fruit with plenty of complex yeast autolysis character from its three years of ageing on yeast lees. It is concentrated, powerful and complex in a big, rich style. Flavours of grilled nuts and savoury lemon pulp form the backbone on the palate, underpinned by nougat and more autolysis character. All this flavour is bundled up by strong, crisp acid bringing a clean, tidy finish. Mellow, balanced, dry, fresh, concentrated and long, this is a classy non-vintage Champagne that strikes an engaging edge between power and elegance, vivacious yet charming. From the same house, also try Summertime Blanc de Blancs and 1996 Grand Cru Brut. Both are also exceptional. Pommery has hit its straps.
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2000 Yarra Burn Pinot Noir/Chardonnay/Pinot Meunier
90 points; $22; from Melbourne St Cellars

WITH all that varietal information, the name’s a bit of a mouthful before you’ve put wine to your lips – but its worth singing in praise. Fruit is sourced from the Hoddles Creek vineyard in the Yarra and they’ve stated confidently in the label blurb that elegance and finesse are signature features of the wine. They are certainly a part of the story and when coupled with the power and richness of this mid-priced sparkling, then the excitement starts to build. The nose is fine and focused with light refreshing aromas, whilst still achieving a degree of complexity and richness. It is not overstated. Like a morning visit to the baker, berries and pastry greet the nose with the beginnings of sweet toastiness. Then there’s biscuit and meal, cashew nuts and some feint smoky notes, a good wash of savory notes over fruit. Rich, juicy red apple flavours this ripe and powerful wine with some real depth in the mid-palate. Still, it doesn’t waver from the line of elegance and understatement. It’s nutty, rich, long and full – and represents sharp, quaffable quality, as its tight, polite, juicy palate leaves you thirsty for more.
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1998 Arras
91 points; $55; from East End Cellars

SELECTED grape parcels from Tasmania’s premium cool-climate vineyards and four years maturation on yeast lees places Arras at the top of Australia’s sparkling offerings in both quality and price – offering comparable quality to many French products. Talented sparkling winemaker Ed Carr is the reigning chief of fizz at Hardy’s and is setting a lofty standard, with results stretching across a range of price points. With Arras, cashew nut autolysis and ripe crisp apple fruit aromas open to delicate white flowers, melon fruits and ripe soft fresh red berry aromas. You can smell bread from the oven, dough and earthy field mushrooms, with just a hint of toast. Arras shows good complexity with a marriage of primary fruit and secondary winemaking influence. Dense flavour and tight structure make for an exciting drink. Lemon citrus flavour and strident acidity hold the line, the finish is fine and long with impeccable balance, and a crescendo of complexity and power leaves a lasting impression of quality fruit.
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Charles Heidsieck Brut NV Mis en Cave 1998
94 points; $85; from East End Cellars

IF you’re fairly partial to a glass of fizz, you generally narrow your favourite house styles down pretty quickly and tend to seek them out in stores or on wine lists wherever you go. It isn’t long then before you notice that there can be a fairly wide variation in freshness of each bottle. The “Mis en Cave” initiative was established as a means of acknowledging the variation in non-vintage Champagne, so that each wine has its own character according to the dominant vintages in the blend and the time it is laid in the cellars. The 1998 Mis en Cave is simply outstanding non-vintage Champagne. Bright primary fruit to the fore and almost every aroma you’d expect to find. It’s complex and integrated, so the impression is dynamic and captivating. There’s a fair underlying chalky minerality, with notable oyster shell and smoky briny aromas (a tip for food matching). A blend of 70 per cent pinot noir and 30 per cent chardonnay, the palate is tight and complex with pinpoint accuracy and densely packed flavours knitted tight into each other. One of the best Heidsieck Mis en Cave yet.
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1997 Brown Brothers Patricia Pinot Chardonnay Brut
88 points; $35; from Melbourne St Cellars

BROWN Brothers’ sparkling wines are top notch and regularly among the medals in numerous wine shows. The Patricia range was released earlier this year as a new super-premium reserve range, acknowledging the contribution of one of the family’s great matriarchs. The sparkling made a lasting impression at the launch and showed well again here. Fruit is from their Whitlands vineyard in the King Valley area. There’s plenty of sparkle and complexity marked by pristine red fruit aromas, ripe strawberry and almond kernel. The overriding impression is of power and integration, no doubt partly due to the five years on lees prior to disgorgement. Holding bottle fermented sparkling on lees retains freshness and slowly builds complexity which knits itself deep into the character of the wine. With bracing acidity and tight savory flavours, this is stylish sparkling; well-made, with terrific fruit quality, producing a complex and engaging drink with loads of flavour, terrific presence and length.
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