Muse Brut Rose, 2004, Moorilla

I love pink bubbles.  Being also a fan of sparkly dresses, sometimes I think there is much fun in being a cliche when it involves good frocks and tasty sparkling!  There is still something of a stigma attached to sparkling rose and if people have only ever tried the horror that is Jacob's Creek Moscato Rose I can completely understand why they think it is hen-night lady-fuel.

Krug Rose or Taittinger Comtes de Champagnes rose couldn't be further from L-plated veils and perma-tanned strippers gyrating to Sex Bomb but if your budget doesn't quite stretch to that then there are plenty of great options in between.

The Muse Brut Rose 2004 is older and I'm tempted to say slightly more interesting than the Brut 06. A complex nose of redcurrant jelly, honey, figs, raspberries and baked strawberries intrigued me and the palate delivered. A very creamy mousse with plenty of refreshing acidity, hibiscus and soft red fruits and a long length.

A delicious and refreshing rose with complex maturity and I think teamed with a glamorous dress the awesome Bruny Island 'Otto', the one wrapped in ham, a few hours could be quite cheerfully wasted away.

Muse Brut 2006, Moorilla

There are so many jokes about Craig Mclachlan that I shall leave them unsaid and let the meme transfer the song into your head all on its own! 

Ex-Neighbours stars aside, if you haven't made the journey to Mona I would highly recommend it, some really confronting art and awesome food can be found on the same site as a very swanky Cellar Door for Moorilla wines.

With fruit sourced from the Tamar Valley the 2006 is as stylish as its surroundings. Pale lemon-green with a fine persistence in the glass the nose is clean and crisp with fresh lemons, biscuits, green apple and a hint of crab apple coming through. This is one crisp and refreshing glass of bubbles with plenty of clean acidity, a really creamy mousse and a long finish. The zingy green apple and lemon combine beautifully with honey, yeast and a complex biscuitty finish in a classy glass of bubbles. 

The Muse vintage Brut is definitely one to enjoy with some tapas from the bar before you head off to view the naked folk, light bulbs and coolest shower around.

Salute Sparkling, Spring Vale, 2008

Produced by Rod and Lyn Lyne out on the east coast of Tassie in Freycinet, the Spring Vale "Salute" sparkling is a blend of 87% Chardonnay, 9% Pinot Noir and 4% Pinot Meunier. Freycinet isn't always at the top of people's minds when one thinks of Tasmanian sparkling wine but it is worth remembering that Spring Vale are in the same neighbourhood as Claudio Radenti who makes some very smart bubbles indeed.

A delicate, pale, lemon-green wine with small fast moving bubbles the Salute is very fresh on the nose with green apple, lemons, white blossoms and biscuits finding their way through. The palate is yeasty and relatively intense with flavours of nectarines, apples, lemons, peach and biscuit. Salute spends 27  months on its lees before release and I would be interested to see how this wine develops as the bottle that I had showed something of a short finish to what was quite the pleasant glass of bubbles, one to re-visit in the future I think.

Pommery, 1981

So Christmas eh? T'was most definitely the season to be merry this year as there has been a cheerful amount of good bubbles knocking around, not least the Pommery 1981 we enjoyed on Christmas morning. A tricky vintage with a reduction in harvest size due to frosts in  the Spring, the 1981's are definitely ready to show us how they have turned out.

I am very much of the opinion that 30 is a lovely age and the Pommery did not disprove my theory. When Pommery is young I find it a little hard going, not quite at the 'a face only a mother could love' stage, more gangly youth, all knees, elbows and funny hair.

Age, however, does wonderful things and the Pommery has emerged from slightly awkward teenage years to be a stylish and slick adult. The maturity is obvious from the start with a rich golden hue which had far more sprightly bubbles than anticipated. The nose had an intensely rich, mushroomy scent with candied peel and some oxidised flavours coming through.

Rich and truffley on the palate, the Pommery was toasty, concentrated and vary satisfying. Intense baked apple, candied peel, brioche and a refreshing tang this was a classy little Champagne which really shows how well Pommery delivers the goods when tucked away to grow up a little.

Tamar Ridge, Vintage Cuvee, 2006

Unless you have been asleep, or merely fixated on the gold dress, it is impossible to skim over my weakness for Tassie bubbles. It has brought me to the other side of the world and although the 100 Aussie sparkling wines  has a pretty strong Tassie bias, this is one that isn't on the initial list.   

This omission isn't for any other reason than there was already way over 100 on the initial list and it needed slimming down a little. 2006 has provided some very smart wines from Tasmania and the Tamar Ridge vintage Cuvee is no exception, it is a cracker of a wine.

Medium lemon with a fine persistence, the nose is yeasty and autolytic with an almost oxidised approach combined with honey, brioche, apple and apricot. On the palate the mousse is rich and creamy which sets off a sparkling that is elegant but firm and flavoursome. Baked apples and stone fruits give way to leave the wine with a combination of citrus, honey and biscuits at the end. 


It will be interesting to watch this one develop as it is still very much developing rather than being fully mature but it is already an absolute belter. One to get a case of and pull out a bottle every now and then just to see how it is doing.

No:49 Bay of Fires Pinot Noir Chardonnay 2003

Tasmania produces some great sparkling wine all over the state but there is definitely a corner of sparkling wine dreams that is inhabited by Jansz, Delamere, Kreglinger and the glorious Bay of Fires.

Everything from the Bay of Fires sparkling range is great drinking and the 2003 is no exception. Inviting from the get-go, the 2003 is sprightly in the glass the small, fast moving, bubbles settling to some fine beading on the rim.

On the nose the maturity is obvious and complex, rich and toasty flavours, stone fruits, baked apple, biscuits and a very pleasant autolytic aroma. These all follow through on the palate to show what a cracking sparkling wine this is. A perfect balance of development married with fresh acidity, a creamy mousse and rich and complex flavours, this is a really stylish glass of bubbles. 

My 100 Australian sparkling wines to try is a little heavy on the Tasmanian sparklers but when they are like this, who am I to argue?

No:96 Knappstein Sparkling Shiraz

There are certain things that are very Australian; Vegemite, freakish animals and sparkling red wine. A little while ago I asked the Twitterverse if Australian sparkling red was pointless filth or Australian speciality and the answer was a healthy enthusiasm for red bubbles.

I have a few sparkling reds to try on my 100 Australian Sparkling wines and this is the first one I have reviewed so far. Apparently it's big over the festive season so I'm bang on the money reviewing it now!

Deep ruby with small fast moving bubbles and lots of fine beading on the rim the nose had as intense and spicy a nose as a still Shiraz. Dark chocolate, coffee, blackberry, pepper, star anise and black cherry all combining in a complex aroma. On the palate it is off-dry but with a refreshing acidity and the dark cherry, chocolate and spice flavours found on the nose all follow through with a hint of eucalyptus and star anise. 

Produced with fruit grown in the Chainsaw Vineyard of the Clare Valley the grapes are hand picked and after two weeks fermentation on skins the wine is transferred into oak barrels for ageing.  Not a traditional method but this has been made with some love and it shows. For my first foray into sparkling Shiraz, I'm kinda liking this, it's like hot Christmas. Weird but not necessarily wrong.

The Rhona, NV, Graham Beck

Returning to the UK and no longer being a Majestic staff member meant that I ended up buying wines from other establishments.This is fine when one knows the area and can find the decent little wine merchants but is as depressing as country music if one doesn't.


After the epic sparkling lunch, my next old friend to visit was in Oxshott, only a hop and  a skip on the train from Wimbledon so I swung by M&S to see what was worth my holiday money. Luckily Marks and Spencer's seems to have stopped spending all their money on Take That adverts (money well spent by the way, superb eye-candy!) and have either paid their buyers a bit more or got them out and about a bit more to try some new wines.


 I was very happy with the selection, bubbles from England, Spain, Italy, South Africa and France all winking cheekily at me like enthusiastic speed daters.

Being in the UK for such a short time I picked the one that would be hardest to find in Tas-vegas. Wise choice. A cracker of a sparkler from Graham Beck's sparkling winemaker Pieter Ferreira, The Rhona is a Methode Cap Classique full of soft, plumptious, red fruits with a hint of something a little more serious and savoury rounding off the palate.


A fairly even split of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir sourced from Robertson, Franschoek and Stellenbosch, whole bunch pressed with some time on lees to bring a rich, yeasty characteristic through this is a smash hit. If I was still in the UK I'd have a comfortable amount of this to see me through the party season and beyond. In fact, friend I went to see knows someone on the inside and she's done just that. Hopefully there will be some left when I head back in May....

Cuvee TJ NV, Szigeti

Sometimes it's important to do things just because you want to. I have huge respect for Peter Szigeti for two reasons. Firstly because he sparkles whatever he wants to. Secondly he isn't a mad man with a soda stream more a man with a passion for traditional method sparkling wine using the varietals around him.

Being of Austro-Hungarian descent the family have vineyards in both countries and produce Gruner Veltliner, Welschriesling, Zwiegelt and many more sparkling wines from their winery an hour south of Vienna. Their Hungarian wine cellar is one of the oldest in the country at 650 years.

A blend of 55% Furmint, 25% Harslevelu and 15% Yellow muscat it is a beautiful gold colour and the nose is the enticing mix of spice and dried fruit that one would hope it offered. Honey, marmalade, orange peel, sultana and spiced apricots all pop up. The palate is dry and fresh with lemon and apple bringing a crisp,  citrussy zing to the party. The finish is spicy, nutty and very pleasant.

This was the final wine to our epic sparkling lunch and all agreed it was a cracking end to the day. This isn't the easiest wine to get hold of but if you are in Vienna it would be criminal not to pop down to Neusiedl am See and see Peter or if you're only in Vienna briefly then a trip to one of their sparkling wine bars is an absolute must. Szigeti info

Bollinger R.D 1995

1995 was the year I was legally allowed to buy alcohol. I say legally as if you've ever met me, I've looked like this since I was 14 so my love of bubbles and access to it may have started slightly earlier than it should have done.

Paintings in the attic aside, when it comes to Bollinger I do ever so slightly turn into an awkward teenage girl gibbering in front of Take That.  I'm constantly impressed with the wines of Bollinger and the RD 1995 was no exception.

Disgorged a dogs age ago, the bottle was kept by a friend of mine for a 'big occasion' weddings, birth of child, that kind of thing and as that hasn't occurred just yet then 'friend returning from Australia' would just have to do.

Aside from being a stonker of a year, the R.D 95 spends at least eight years on its lees before being disgorged which gives it a real freshness on release. This bottle was disgorged quite a while ago so there was a real maturity to the champagne with nutty, earthy, mushroomy characteristics coming through.

The fruit was rich and intense with baked apple, stone fruit, honey and nuts and a clean acidity which complimented the mature flavours. The RD was definitely 'at peak, drink now' and it was a real treat to enjoy the wine at its peak instead of tasting its potential.

Another hit for Bollinger and just to balance out the universe I retained my teenage girl idiocy that evening when I ran into a very handsome friend of mine  and being a little tired and emotional by then promptly turned into a gibbering teenager again. Sorry Reg, blame the Bollinger, one day I'll be as classically elegant as my favourite beverage.

No:54 Arras Grand Vintage 2003

Just over a year ago I started the 'Living The Dream' phase of my life and moved to Tasmania. For those of you that have never visited Tas-vegas....Tanzania is the place in Africa, no it isn't that cold and the bubbles are the best non-Champagne sparkling wines on the planet.

When faced with the long journey back to the UK, the biggest question is always which wine to take with me. Most of my friends aren't massively amused that I've moved away to the actual other side of the world so I was planning on appeasing them with quality beverages on my return.

The choice of bubbles was a nightmare, I'm surrounded by awesome fizz everywhere I turn. In the end I decided to go for a classic, Arras Grand Vintage 2003 made by sparkling wine maestro Ed Carr. Produced from fruit sourced from the Derwent, Huon and Glenora Valley the wine is Chardonnay dominated with a very specific 38.7% being Pinot Noir.

Arras did me proud. Golden and vibrant in the glass with a lively bubble and very creamy mousse. On the nose the richness came through with candied fruits and a yeasty characteristics which followed through to the palate where it was met with a surprisingly youthful palate. The acidity is still pretty lively, the palate almost tight and very well constructed with the mushroomy notes of development mingling comfortably with honey and baked apple. 

We started off our epic sparkling-a-thon with this wine which was perfect for a reunion and the bringing together of my new home and the place where I grew up but presented me with another problem. What the hell should I take back next time?

For the full list of 100 Australian Sparkling wines to try click here

Les Sarments d'Ay, Moet et Chandon

One of my favourite things about being in the wine industry is that I know I will never get to the end of the story. There will be wines I haven't drunk, places I haven't visited and things I will never learn but the upside of that is being able to retain my sense of childish glee. There will always be new discoveries and mysteries to unravel, which is never a bad thing.

On my whirlwind trip back to the UK my new discovery was a bottle that my champagne guru Pete brought to lunch. He wasn't too sure about it's heritage beyond it being a special that Moet et Chandon made but apparently it had been sat around and he felt it was about time it got drunk.

After abandoning the Moet website in a fit of frustration, I stumbled across some actual information from the always interesting Andrew Jefford, which managed to provide me with a few crumbs of knowledge. Les Sarments d'Ay was part of a release of three Grand Cru wines from Moet in 2001, each designed to show the expression of their grape variety and region. Les Vignes de Saran is made from Chardonnay grown in Chouilly and  Les Champs de Romont is made from Pinot Meunier in Sillery.

Pete is my champagne guru for a reason. Les Sarments d'Ay was a real unexpected treat and it has managed to capture the elements of its variety and location. The produce of several vintages this champagne is the epitome of fine balance; the fruit, richness and acidity sitting in harmony.

Stone fruits, baked apple and bready notes combine with hints of creaminess and the maturity of the wine is evident in a slight mushroomy characteristic but there is still a youthful vibrancy to the wine.

Justerini & Brooks are in possession of some of this wine so if you haven't organised something for Christmas morning then this would be a blinder with a breakfast of scrambled eggs, freshly baked bread and Christmas ham.

Miolo Brut Millesime 2008

Brazilian sparkling wine. That comment is one punctuation mark away from a WAG's to-do list but Brazil does indeed produce traditional method sparkling wines.

Located in the Vale dos Vinhedos, a sub-region of the Serra Gaucha, an area in the south-east of Brazil not too far from the coast.  Serra Gaucha isn't ridiculously hot with an average maximum temperature of 22.9 degrees and a minimum of 12.9 I don't know too much about Brazilian wines having forgotten almost everything I crammed into my mind during the WSET Diploma revision but Wines of Brazil have a cracking website to get you up to speed www.winesofbrasil.com

Miolo have 450 hectares in the Vale and their website (click here) touts a slightly terrifying corporate spiel involving Miolo being part of their 'project' plan and having only been set up in 2006; this juggernaut is definitely motoring along.

Now to the wine, the big question....Is the wine any good? Weeeeeell, kind of. A traditional method blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir it has been very well executed. Small, persistent bubbles, well balanced acidity, baked apple, stone fruit and toasty notes it is nicely put together and goes down nicely.

Overseen by Michel Rolland, flying winemaker extraordinaire, Miolo Millesime is competently made but lacks a certain something. Despite being perfectly pleasant the finish was a little short and left me wanting more. Tasted with two wine friends we all enjoyed the wine but the lack of passion left us thinking it was a little over-priced at just shy of £20 when for that price there are so many other really enjoyable new world sparklers like Green Point, Pelorus, Gloria Ferrer, Mumm Napa available at the same kind of price point.

The difference between a good wine and a great wine is often that little bit of magic. The strange witches brew of passion, good grapes and some (to quote the youth) mad winemaking skills. I think in time this wine will improve as someone who just has to make wine sparkle will find themselves at the helm and push this wine into some very interesting waters. One to keep a sneaky eye on...

Bertrand Devavry Gisele NV

You know the drill folks, if you are in the trade and talking about Champagne then one must diss the big houses and talk only about smaller and grower Champagnes. After trying the Bollinger Grande Annee 2002, the growers needed to deliver the goods with the assistance of Brad Pitt gliding in on a unicorn to impress me.

Bertrand Devavry are located in Champillon, north of Epernay with vineyards in several villages including Haut Villers, Sermiers and Romery with a Chardonnay dominance to their blends.

Apple, hawthorns and lemon on the nose the palate follows through with a similar flavour profile and a crisp, fresh acidity but a limited complexity. The wine is well put together with a creamy mousse and a balanced acidity but it isn't very interesting and doesn't have much of a finish. 

Slow start for the growers, there's better from Devavry to come but for the moment it's Big houses-1, Growers-nil*

*Bring me Brad Pitt on a unicorn and I'll say whatever you want me to about your wine...

Bollinger Rose NV

Rose champagne is a funny thing. Back in retail land, the suggestion of a rose when people were looking for champagne was often met with a dirty look and immediate dismissal of such a ridiculous idea. I didn't mind that much as it meant there was more for the rest of us who knew the joy of a good glass of pink bubbles.

One reason I am so enamoured of a rose champagne is that they are such excellent food wines and Bollinger Rose is no exception. Pale salmon pink with columns of small bubbles the nose showed redcurrants, wild strawberries and a yeasty, savoury edge to it. I could imagine guinea fowl with morel mushrooms being a delicious match or perhaps some duck with its juicy gameyness.

Redcurrants, strawberries, raspberries and mushrooms sit comfortably in a creamy mousse with refreshing acidity wrapping up to a toasty and long finish which gives the champagne excellent weight and complexity. Champagne is not just a drink for celebration, enjoying it all the way through a meal is a pleasure in itself and shows a different side to the wine. As ever Bollinger has delivered the goods so if you don't normally order a rose or drink champagne with food, this wine is a fantastic place to start.

Bollinger Special Cuvee NV

Sometimes I fully embrace my English-ness and enjoy the dynamic duo (or trio really) that is champagne with fish and chips. For these occasions Bollinger is always top of my list as it always brings full, complex flavours and a crisp acidity that cuts through the produce of a quality chippy.

Tasting the Special Cuvee NV at the CIVC tasting in Sydney was another reminder of why I always go back to this house. Pinot heavy, around three quarters of the blend comes from red grapes, the NV sees around four years ageing before being released. The use of cask maturation brings weight and complexity  to a very stylish wine.

Pale lemon-green in colour with apples, lemons, stone fruits and caramelised nuts on the nose the palate is clean with refreshing acidity that balances out the weightier nuts and mushroom characteristics that elegantly mix with fresh apples, lemons and hints of brioche.

An elegant and complex wine the Bollinger Special Cuvee deserves its moniker as something a little bit special that sets it apart from the crowd.

Bollinger La Grande Annee 2002

Every now and then a wine rocks around that gets me giddy. In that wonderful, affirming glad to be alive sort of way that tends to strike me when I go to New York, the Rodin museum in Paris or fly over the Andes. The wine that has got me all happy, happy, joy, joy* is the Bollinger La Grande Annee 2002. 

2002  is widely agreed to be one of the best vintages of recent times and after tasting some other excellent 2002's over the last year or so I was really impressed that Bollinger strode in there and in no uncertain terms, completely stole the floor.

It actually says wow in my notes but for those of you interested in a slightly more thorough approach to tasting terms here we go. Lemon with small fast moving bubbles the nose shows fresh apple, lemons, light toasty notes and some light floral scents. Pinot dominant with 40% Chardonnay the palate is taut and beautifully put together. 

The acidity gives good structure and the flavours of apple, lemon and light toastiness are joined on the palate with some mushroom and nutty characteristics and a long length on the finish. Like a tightly coiled spring the wine has almost a nervy energy to it which shows the promise of a truly outstanding champagne for the future.

It is quite hard to write a review for this without getting terribly over-excited but sometimes I think it is worth acknowledging that there are some wines out there that are worth the buzz. The fact that it is young but so good now and that its potential is there to see in the glass should be worth noting. Stonking champagne and a reason to clap ones hands together in glee and do the happy dance.

* Ren and Stimpy for those of you old enough to remember!

Jacob's Creek, Moscato Rose, NV, South Australia

For every action there is an equal an opposite reaction-Newton's Law

After the success of Jacob's Creek Moscato I had fairly high hopes for the Moscato rose. I am an eejit and no mistaking. On the nose flavours of strawberry laces and candy floss had my heart sinking. The palate lacked all the positive aspects of the white Moscato as without the acidity to balance out the sweetness the claggy feeling was there in full force. The flavours were not of fresh fruit but of pick and mix-fake cherries, marshmallows and more strawberry laces. Thankfully the finish is short but if you are offered the choice between the two Moscato's; don't take the red pill.

No:19 Jacob's Creek Moscato, NV, South Australia

Jacob's Creek has had mixed fortunes so far with me; a fun, fresh and fruity rose did pretty well and we happily polished the bottle off between us at my small friends joint first birthday party. Not the small friends you understand, they were busy smearing frozen watermelon on themselves and fighting over toys.

 Jacob's Creek NV not so good, reminiscent of pub carpets it was something of a calamity of a sparkling wine so when faced with their Moscato I approached it like a postman seeing an unfamiliar dog.

On the nose pears, peaches, apricots all made for a fresh and fruity start. On the palate a very similar story with hints of vanilla, candied peel and orange blossom diving in to the mix. At 9% this is as sweet as expected and has a creamy mouthfeel but good acidity to balance out the sweetness and avoids becoming claggy (Google it!)

Despite not having the obligatory gold stickers all over the bottle this wine is highly awarded and I can see why. It's a well balanced, approachable, fresh and fruity off-dry sparkler. If you are looking for something a little sweeter and a little lower in alcohol this isn't a bad place to start at all.

No:101 Delamere Blanc de Blanc 2006

I have a new addition to the corner of dreams up river in the Pipers Brook area. Joining my happy fizzy trio of Jansz, Bay of Fires and Kreglinger is lovely Delamere. They're not that new, I have only just discovered them which is why they really ought to be on the 100 Australian sparkling wines but foolishly they are not. 

Run by Shane and Fran this traditional method sparkler is made on site in the small but functional space they operate that doubles with their cellar door. 

Pale lemon-green with tiny fast moving bubbles the wine shows toast, honey, apple, lemon, brioche and apricot on the nose. Dry with a crisp, fresh acidity and a creamy mousse. The wine is flavoursome with a lot of elements from the nose coming through to the palate and a wonderful bread and biscuit addition to create a stylish, lean and elegant wine.  

I'm a huge fan of this wine, it is beautifully put together and will carry on maturing over the next few years if you find a suitable place to hide it.

No:80 Croser, Petaluma, 2008

One of the joys of the wine industry beyond the vinous pleasures is the people one meets along the way. The other joy is that they always bring nice wine.


Celebrating new friends (Dredgey, Ella and Tom) new jobs (me!) and a new PhD (Reuben) we were a merry bunch indeed and the evening kicked off with Croser 2008. Being too busy gossiping and eating cheese I managed to write a tasting note but managed took no pictures. In these circumstances I've done the only thing that can be done and included a wine dog picture instead. This is Max, he watched us drink the Croser 2008.

Made in Piccadilly Valley in Adelaide Hills these bubbles are pale lemon with lots of small fast moving bubbles forming a fine beading on the rim. On the nose ripe stone fruits such as apricot and nectarine combined with a hint of vanilla, brioche and a little almost custardy flavour. 


The ripe stone fruit flavour continued on the palate where fresh citrus and apples keep the wine fresh and crisp with a real youthful edge. A blend of 66% Pinot Noir, 34% Chardonnay the wine was fermented in old Vosges barriques and went through a partial malolactic fermentation to create an approachable and enjoyable wine.

No:76 Taltarni Brut Tache 2009

 Continuing the pink theme with the joy that is Taltarni Brut Tache 2009. If you were hoping for a bit more suspense as to whether I enjoyed it or not, the tension is kind of gone now isn't it?

Made traditionally with fruit sourced from Victoria 57%, Tasmania 5% and South Australia 38% with a 15ml dosage of Cabernet Sauvignon to stain it a subtle pink(the French word is Tache) , the more delicate amongst you may be slightly alarmed but with Taltarni you are in incredibly safe hands.

Aside from the Cabernet in the dosage, the wine is a blend of 66% Chardonnay, 31% Pinot Noir and 3% Pinot Meunier which has been put together to create a very stylish wine.

Pale salmon pink in colour with lots of small fast moving bubbles forming a fine beading on the rim. On the nose a cacophony of scents, strawberries, redcurrants, lemons, toast, candied stone fruits, mango and floral notes are most enticing.

Clean and crisp on the palate the flavours present on the nose continue with the addition of some sweet spice elements and ripe tropical flavours. A fresh and fruity rose with clean, crisp acidity and a very pleasant finish. Thoroughly enjoyable and very classy wine which will always be welcome in my glass.

No:40 Yarra Burn Rose NV

After Tasmania, the Yarra Valley is one of my favourite wine regions largely because it is full of bubbles. I had thoroughly enjoyed the Yarra Burn NV so when the time came to try the Yarra Burn rose I was  a very happy Curly.

 A blend of 45% Pinot Noir, 42% Chardonnay, 13% Pinot Meunier and 1% Ruby Cabernet with 70% of fruit coming from the cooler climate areas of the Yarra Valley.

Medium salmon pink in colour with small, fast moving bubbles the nose was a heady hit of soft red fruits. Strawberries and raspberries mingle with sweet spice, vanilla and the hint of something more savoury. The palate brings a creamy mousse and the soft red fruits are joined by crisp redcurrants, a hint of truffle with a well balanced acidity and a flavoursome finish. 

A drier style of rose is usually my preferred approach and it is good to see a rose that isn't particularly pricey (I paid $20) ticking all the right boxes and remaining plumptious, tasty and not cloying and sweet.

Day & Night 2007, Tasmania

Own brand sparkling wine, where does one start? It was under $20 but it was made in Tasmania so I figured that if I was going to take a chance, Tassie bubbles are a pretty safe bet.

Made by a company based in Lutana just outside Hobart with fruit sourced from all over Tasmania, Day & Night is made for the 9/11 bottle shop chain. At four years old this blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay hopefully would show some developmental characteristics but beyond that I was intrigued but not overly expectant.

Lemons, baked apple and brioche on the nose was a good start and the palate followed through to be clean and fresh with ripe acidity, baked bread, apples, lemons and hints of toast with a slightly honeyed finish.

Day & Night 2007 is not going to set the world on fire but if funds are limited and you are in need of some tasty bubbles this really isn't a bad option to go for. It is pleasant to drink, crisp and nicely put together. Who says Tasmania can't do value for money?

No:28 Kreglinger Brut de Blancs 2003

After the success of Kreglinger Vintage Brut 2004, I had high hopes for the Brut de blancs. A year older and just as interesting.

Pale lemon with tiny bubbles showing flavours of ripe pear, apple, brioche and apricot on the nose. On the palate the ripe, full flavours continue elegantly balancing ripe stone fruits with a creamy mouthfeel, lively acidity, toast and biscuit notes and a long finish.

This is definitely another stylish and well constructed sparkling wine which is very sprightly for eight years old. It will be interesting to see how this develops over the next few years but it is an impressive wine with good potential.

No: 52 Kreglinger Vintage Brut 2004

Having given myself a month off to move house, settle in and get to grips with life in Tassie, it would be rude of me not to storm back with a Tasmanian beauty. For the first time in a long time I was able to use the phrase "I've not been here for years" when arriving at Pipers Brook which shares its driveway with another great Tasmanian sparkling wine, Jansz.

Skipping over the opportunity for a gossip with Maxine, the lovely Cellar door manager at Jansz, I wound my way through the vineyard to the Pipers Brook Cellar Door. Kreglinger are a Belgian company which now own the company and produce some very stylish bubbles and a fairly horrible website.

Luckily the smarts are in the winemaking department who produce this delicious sparkler. Pale lemon in appearance and toasty, ripe tropical fruit flavours on the  nose alongside stone fruits, apple and lemon. A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir the wine is yeasty and rich yet lively in the mouth with a youthful fresh lemon and apple flavour which belies its years.

The Kreglinger Vintage Brut 2004 is intense, complex and interesting, alongside the obvious maturity is a lean and elegant acidity and ripe, fresh fruits. It's always nice to see a big juggernaut of a company making wines like this and getting it so very right.

No.16: Yarra Burn Premium Cuvee NV

I first stumbled across the wines of Yarra Burn when Constellation were doing one of their mass unloadings of a parcel of wines into Majestic. There were no bubbles amongst the selection but thoroughly enjoyed the still whites so it would have been rude of me not to include some of their bubbles in my 100 Australian sparkling wines to try.

The fruit, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir is sourced from around the Yarra Valley with flavours of honey, white peach, brioche, apple and melon on the nose. The ripe and fresh flavours continue on the  palate and combine with a creamy mouthfeel, a hint of honeysuckle, toast and fresh strawberries alongside the white peach, brioche and other flavours shown on the nose.

I was pleasantly surprised and impressed with the Yarra Burn NV, there's plenty going on and the wine has enough acidity and structure to create a flavoursome and enjoyable glass of bubbles. There are a few more wines in the Yarra Burn sparkling wines range and I am looking forward to trying them all and the joy is they don't break the bank, a great mid-week treat indeed.

No.14:Taltarni Brut NV

What's a girl to do when she arrives a little early for dinner with the fantabulous Nat from Jansz? Why have a glass of bubbles of course!

Not a realistic interpretation of last Thursday. Imagine darker and with polar bears!

Taltarni Brut NV is made in the Pyrenees from fruit sourced in Victoria and the Clover Hill vineyard in Tasmania and is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.

Made in the traditional method the wine has the merest hint of pink and a nose that shows plenty of stone fruits, fresh apples and ripe lemons. On the palate these lovely ripe, fresh flavours of apricots, peaches, apples and lemons combine with some red fruits such as strawberries, raspberries and cherries. 

 The acidity is harmonious and keeps the wine fresh in the mouth and although this isn't the most complex of wines, it is definitely a pleasure to drink and perfect for gossiping with friends pre-martinis.

Pepik Rose, Josef Chromy

Pink bubbles. They can be quite the divider for people and to be honest I blame the  huge mega-corporations and their industrial battery farming for grapes. If that was all the pink fizz I'd tried I might be a bit hesitant.It is also often referred to as a girls drink however being both a girl and enthusiastic about things pink and fizzy I am not put off by that.

A blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir like the Non-Vintage and 2008 the wine is a pale salmon pink but there is something quite vibrant about it in the glass.  The colour is introduced at disgorging with a little top up of red wine which makes for a crunchy red fruity style of sparkling wine.

Bags of redcurrant, cherry, strawberry, raspberry and hints of vanilla and white pepper this sparkling rose is crisp, clean and a great match to home made pizza, cured ham and soft white cheeses.

No.48:Josef Chromy 2008

Still work here. Still biased....

The 2008 from Josef Chromy is a different beast to the NV and a young whippersnapper to boot. Pale lemon with small fast moving bubbles and fine beading on the rim the nose is highly aromatic with brioche,  honey, apples, lemon, candied orange peel and a hint of richness.

A very creamy mouthfeel with lots of youthful characteristics of green apple, lemons and fresh bread this sparkling is just getting going. Softer, richer and less racy than the non vintage I would be very interested to see how this continues to develop over the next five years to see how all the promise it shows eventually reveals itself. 

I haven't tasted much older Tasmanian sparkling wines but the few I have tasted have been very impressive and I will definitely be tucking some of the Josef Chromy 2008 aside to enjoy over the years. Now all I have to do is see what older vintages are lurking over at the winery.....