Sparkling wine makes any occasion special, and a sticky can round off any dinner to perfection, but it needs to be carefully matched to the dessert - or just serve fresh fruit, plain uilles, or a couple of carefully selected cheeses.
BEST UNDER $20
$16 (350ml)
Fragrant, floral and zesty with hints of crystallised ginger and orange blossom, this is simple, sweet and charming. Sip with a dessert like orange and almond flan or caramelised peaches.
ww.brownbrothers.com.au
Good value
Three stars (out of five)
$29.90
Made from chardonnay, this is light and elegant with a lovely hint of freshly baked hazelnut biscuits and a crisp, lemony finish. A charming, undemanding off-dry and very enjoyable wine.
Average value
Three stars
$28.90
A faint blush of dull pink colours this bubbly made from the traditional blend of pinot noir and chardonnay. It hints of berries, toasted hazelnuts and freshly baked bread, is mouthfilling but elegant, and has a satisfying, savoury finish.
Average value
Three stars
$55
A new wine from one of the country's leading makers of sparkling wine, Daniel Le Brun who 30 years ago left France where his family had been making Champagne for 12 generations to escape the stifling French winemaking regulations. This powerful, complex wine (80% pinot noir 20% chardonnay) hints of toasted nuts, burnt milk, fresh brioche and many other aromas, but it's the persistence, integration and harmony that lift it above many other New Zealand bubblies.
Average value
Four stars
$22.90 (350ml)
This sweet wine has all the seductive charm and fragrance of a freshly picked, tree-ripened peach, with hints of honeysuckle, orange and tropical fruit, and a lively suggestion of lemon on the nicely balanced finish. Try with poached peaches or pears with vanilla and orange blossom water.
Average value
Three stars
$37 (350ml)
Rich and pungent, with toasty undertones, overtones of dried apricot and honey, an oily, mouthfilling texture and sweet yet balanced, long finish, this is delicious. It will develop with another year or so of bottle age. Try with a vanilla and orange or apricot creme brulée.
Average value
Four stars
ANOTHER GLASS
$23 (350ml)
Fragrant with fresh guava, green fruits and dusty gravel, this sweet wine has the herby, capsicum character and crisp green flavour of Marlborough sauvignon, but also an intense sweetness, silky texture and clean finish. Just the thing to go with an aged cheddar.
Average value
Three stars
$30
A barrel-fermented bubbly made from 50% pinot noir and 50% chardonnay, this is a big, mouthfilling wine, brash with lots of flavour, suggestions of leather, toasty nuts, and a dry finish.
Average value
Three stars
Although wine sent for review is tasted blind to eliminate preconceptions, all wine tasting and evaluation is subjective. These are personal recommendations. charmian.smith@odt.co.nz
Two stars - simple, clean, enjoyable wine; three stars - good wine with varietal characteristics; four stars - very good wine with some outstanding characteristics; five stars - outstanding wine with balance and harmony that leaves you with a sense of wonder.
