Accepted wisdom is that Tasmania rules the sparkling wine roost, and while as a general statement this remains true it’s also evident that at the very top end, competition is on for young and old. A sparkling wine from Pemberton won the category this year (it was a runaway victor at the judging), with wines from Tasmania, the Yarra Valley, Orange and the King Valley also figuring prominently. In the past two years we have run separate red/white/rosé sparkling classes, but this year it was one class combined. The winner of this class now is the true sparkling crown-holder of the year.
This wine has been causing a stir around the traps for all the right reasons. It’s a knockout style but it’s also 100 per cent convincing; it jumped out of our line-up for the heady, powerful display that it puts on; as panel member Mike Bennie writes, it’s "profound". It’s not just a (sparkling) wine, it’s an experience.
2024 Sparkling Wine of the Year
97 points (PD*) | Price when tasted $125
