Croser Late Disgorged 2000 Vintage Sparkling
Piccadilly Valley, Adelaide Hills, South Australia
There are not many ‘Late Disgorged’ sparkling wines produced in Australia which is such a shame as this is a style that one can immediately become accustomed to. The Croser team have made this wine with such care – handpicked fruit, gently pressed whole bunches, fermented in old oak with a focus on fruit characters, natural acid levels and zero dosage (i.e. no added sugar). You get the idea that this wine has been allowed to let its natural beauty to shine through rather than spending its time being coaxed into movie star slickness.
Traditionally made sparkling wine usually spends 18 months – 5 years in the bottle with the dead yeast cells that produced those delightful bubbles. By keeping fizz in the bottle for an extended time (Late Disgorged) means that the wine retains its freshness longer. This wine has had 9 years on lees which has given it plenty of time to develop a rich creamy complexity.
This is a wine that will shine with that special meal. It has the aromas of rich apple berry crumble with a zesty lemon sauce that keeps it refreshing. However, it is in no way a sweet wine, rather it is round and fresh with a satisfying creamy texture. The long firm ripe nashi pear finish needs something like delicate smoked salmon blinis or prawn and scallops filo bon-bons with lemon and chives.
Distribution: widely distributed
Value: $56.00
© Lisa Johnston October 2011
Wine Diva Wines of the Month, November 2011
