A sparkling wine from Marlborough that has a lot going for it – a ‘vintage’ wine made using the Méthode Traditionnelle and the Glera grape varietal that is the key component of Prosecco as a style. The producer – quite a new label – from Ben and Helen McLauchlan, is family-run, and this is the second edition of this wine. What it doesn’t have in its favour is a trade deal between Europe and NZ that protects products from their original DOC (in Europe) on the shelves in NZ – and Prosecco falls into that category. So only wines made in the Prosecco DOC region will be permitted to be labelled and sold as Prosecco in NZ.
A pale silvery green colour in the glass. It shows a very bright and energetic mousse of tiny bubbles that carry the fresh perfume vibrantly. Green apple and zested lemon to the fore, with pear, chamomile, almond granola and honeysuckle florals. Quite light on the palate, with a hint of fruit ripeness to the sweetness levels that suits the style, adding generosity to what is a tight and tangy range of flavours. A taste of ‘grape’, like a juicy green table grape as well. Good direction from fresh acidity, it zips across the tongue and is quickly into a prickly, clean finish. 92pts
