- Yarra Valley, VIC - $29-$35
- Cork
- 12.0%alc
If Tasmania's my first port of call for Australian sparklings (which it is), then the Yarra Valley would go pretty close to being my second. The Yarra delivered a trio of top class fizzers from 2004, under the labels of Yarrabank (93pts), Coldstream Hills (92pts from Feb '09) and the late release Yarra Burn Blanc de Blancs (93pts).
Still a youthful looking pale-straw colour, Coldstream Hills' 2004 presents a fresh nose scented with gently honeyed citrus fruits, white nectarines, nougat and creamed nuts in an evenly balanced fashion. Its aroma is fresh and invigorating - sheer delight really. Very creamy and rather sumptuous on entry, yet distinctly medium in weight, its palate pushes through a clean and clear mouthful of mineral and brine flavours with a soft, foamy finish framed by a surprisingly stringy cut of grapefruit-like acids. It could use a bit more effervescent tightness really, as its finish seems fractionally loose and fades away somewhat in structural intensity, but its good length of creamy, texture driven flavour remains a plus.
O Coldstream Hills' 2004 still blooms with the sexy fragrant qualities that made me fall in love with it 2 years ago, but it is starting to look a little loose through the back palate now, so I'd drink up. Drink now.
90 points
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