The second annual Chandon Sparkling Summit was held earlier this year and it once again proved to be a rewarding event. A 2010 Herbert Hall Brut seared the enamel off my teeth and strengthened my belief that UK sparkling wine is over-rated and surviving on a mix of post-imperial parochialism and novelty. The room was devided by a 2009 Vouette et Sorbée Fidele Blanc de Noirs. I came down in favour of its quirkiness, but most of us had less time for the 2008 Ulysse Collin Les Maillons Blanc de Noirs with its brandy oak, aldehydes and mushrooms (it’s a cult wine but I’m not a believer). The final bracket, whose theme was complexity, boldness and age threw up two winners; a 2004 Veuve Cliquot La Grande Dame and the 2004 Chandon Prestige Cuvée. All wines were tasted blind and to be fair, I’m not sure the context allowed the grower Champagnes to show in their best light.
As good as the 2004 Chandon Prestige Cuvée was – and I thought it was a lot better than the 1996 release – I’m not sure that the extended lees treatment (eight years I think) is really what Chandon do best. The emphasis from winemakers Dan Buckle and Glenn Thompson was on capturing purity of fruit and maintaining a fine line of acid. In this sense the 2008 Chandon Cuvée 500 Vintage Collection proved exemplary. The ‘Vintage Collection’ will be an ongoing project with a new wine representing a different concept released each year. The 2008 Cuvée 500 name refers to the grapes being sourced from vineyards in the King Valley, Strathbogie Ranges and Macedon all sitting above 500 metres in altitude. An astute choice in a warm year.
Detail and form are the keys to the wine. Lemon curd and zest, green apples, red cherries and roasted hazelnuts to the fore. Toasted brioche from autolysis plays a complexing role rather than presenting as a blanketing feature. A terrific mineral/acid backbone. Has some (balanced) sweetness which works in its favour. It just feels good in the mouth. A top-notch combination of delicacy and intensity. 93
Region: King Valley, Macedon, Strathbogie Ranges
Alcohol: 12.5%
Closure: Diam
Price: $45
Tasted: June 2013
Re: ‘UK sparkling wine is over-rated’. I would have to agree. On a recent visit to Cornwall we visited the Camel Valley winery and tasted a number of their award winning sparklers. The romance of the cellar won us over. During the following days we drank the bottles we had bought and decided they were about on a par with Great Western ‘champagne’ in its heyday. Better value (and drinking) to be had from Australia, France et al.
Yes, Camel Valley were represented for a second year. This time any novelty had worn off for me. It was simply unconvincing.