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Tag Archives: sparkling


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Ca’ del Bosco Cuvée Prestige, Franciacorta, Lombardy

Franciacorta is Italy’s answer to Champagne, traditional method, bottle-aged sparkling wines that aim for finesse rather than flamboyance. Ca’ del Bosco is one of the region’s most respected producers, and their Cuvée Prestige offers a polished, fruit-driven expression of the style, built on freshness and backed up with complexity.

Image by Ca del Bosco

In the glass, it’s a pale lemon with a fine, persistent mousse. The nose opens with gentle white blossom and ripe citrus, lemon and peach give way to subtle tropical hints of melon. There’s a creamy, baked element too, with aromas of pastry, bread and a dusting of vanilla, leading into a faint thread of honey and dried apricot that adds some welcome depth.

On the palate, the wine is dry with medium-plus acidity and a round, almost silky texture. Flavours mirror the nose, ripe orchard fruit, delicate citrus, and that creamy brioche core, supported by a soft mousse and a gently warming finish. The complexity is there, albeit restrained, and while the finish doesn’t quite linger long enough for top-tier status, this is a really very good wine.

It’s a shame that we don’t see that much Franciacorta in the UK. Look out for these elegant, well-balanced wines often with extended lees aging for those lovely brioche notes when you are in Italy. I particularly like the Saten style which is a Blanc de Blanc with lower dosage.


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Cloudy Bay Pelorus Brut NV, Marlborough, New Zealand

Cloudy Bay is best known for putting Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc on the map, but their traditional method sparkling wine, Pelorus Brut NV, quietly makes a case for itself with understated depth and impressive finesse.

Image by Cloudy Bay

In the glass, it’s a pale lemon hue with a fine, persistent mousse. The nose is bright and expressive, offering ripe orchard fruit, crisp apple and pear, alongside notes of preserved lemon and peach. There’s a gently smoky undertone that adds interest, and a familiar seam of biscuity, yeasty complexity that marks time spent on lees. Hints of roasted almond and honey round out the profile, lending the wine a mellow, almost autumnal edge.

On the palate, the wine is dry, with high acidity that gives a clean, defined structure. The flavours mirror the nose: juicy apple and citrus up front, followed by pastry, toast, and a subtle suggestion of honey and smoke. The mousse is creamy, well-integrated, and adds a tactile richness to the mid-palate. The finish is extended and precise, if not quite expansive.

This is a very high quality sparkling wine and in blind tastings I’ve confidently had it down as a Champagne. It offers clear varietal and stylistic character, a fine balance between fruit and structure, and a satisfying degree of complexity Pelorus consistently delivers more you’d expect as this price point.


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Sparkling Wines Chile and Argentina

A condensed summary of sparkling wines from Chile and Argentina including history,  regions, growing environment, vineyard management, grape varieties, wine making, styles, wine law and business.

Sparkling Wines Chile and ArgentinaDownload

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World, Oxford Wine Companion by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson, various producer websites.

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.

© Kiran Curtis 2023. Personal use only not to be used for commercial or promotional purposes.


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Sparkling Wines Italy, Tank Method

A condensed summary of tank method wines from Italy including history,  regions, growing environment, vineyard management, grape varieties, wine making, styles, wine law and business.

Sparkling Wines Italy TankDownload

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World, Oxford Wine Companion by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson, various producer websites.

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.

© Kiran Curtis 2023. Personal use only not to be used for commercial or promotional purposes.


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Sparkling Wines, South Africa

A condensed summary of the sparkling wines of South Africa including history,  regions, growing environment, vineyard management, grape varieties, wine making, styles, wine law and business.

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World, Oxford Wine Companion by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson, various producer websites.

Sparkling Wines South AfricaDownload

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.

© Kiran Curtis 2023. Personal use only not to be used for commercial or promotional purposes.


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Sparkling Wines, Australia

A condensed summary of the sparkling wines of Australia including history,  regions, growing environment, vineyard management, grape varieties, wine making, styles, wine law and business.

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World, Oxford Wine Companion by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson, various producer websites.

Sparkling Wines AustraliaDownload

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.

© Kiran Curtis 2023. Personal use only not to be used for commercial or promotional purposes.


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Sparkling Wines New Zealand

A condensed summary of the sparkling wines of New Zealand including history,  regions, growing environment, vineyard management, grape varieties, wine making, styles, wine law and business.

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World, Oxford Wine Companion by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson, various producer websites.

Sparkling Wines New ZealandDownload

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.

© Kiran Curtis 2023. Personal use only not to be used for commercial or promotional purposes.


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Sparkling Wines, USA

A condensed summary of sparkling wines of the USA including history,  regions, growing environment, vineyard management, grape varieties, wine making, styles, wine law and business.

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World, Oxford Wine Companion by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson, various producer websites.

Sparkling Wines USADownload

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.

© Kiran Curtis 2023. Personal use only not to be used for commercial or promotional purposes.


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Sparkling Wines Traditional Method, Italy

A condensed summary of traditional method Italian sparkling wines including history,  regions, growing environment, vineyard management, grape varieties, wine making, styles, wine law and business.

Sources include: WSET Diploma Wines of the World, Oxford Wine Companion by Julia Harding and Jancis Robinson, various producer websites.

Sparkling Wines Italy TraditionalDownload

Note this document is intended for personal use only not for commercial or promotional use. We accept no liability for any omissions or errors that may be contained in the document.

© Kiran Curtis 2023. Personal use only not to be used for commercial or promotional purposes.


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Bleasdale Sparkling Shiraz NV. Langhorne Creek, South Australia

Here’s something deliciously unusual: Bleasdale Sparkling Shiraz NV, a wine that manages to be both full-bodied and fizzy, rich yet refreshing, and festive without losing its serious side. If you’ve never tried sparkling red, this South Australian classic is the place to start. It’s as bold and characterful and a lot of fun.

In the glass, it pours a deep ruby, almost inky, with a lively mousse that hints at its playful side. But don’t be fooled, it’s anything but simple. The nose is pronounced and opulent, brimming with dark, ripe fruit: blackberry, blueberry, and black cherry alongside juicy red notes of strawberry, cranberry, and cherry pie. Add in a bouquet of violet and rose petals, and it’s like being handed a bouquet with a side of spiced compote.

There’s more though, this wine is layered. Behind the fruit, there’s a whisper of eucalyptus (classic Aussie Shiraz), black pepper and liquorice spice, and a deeper backdrop of clove, toasted oak and a cedar box of old cigars. It finishes with hints of dried prunes, tobacco and a dusty earthiness that give it a lovely rustic edge. It’s rich, warming, and more complex than you might expect from a sparkling wine.

On the palate, it’s medium-dry, sweet, but not dessert-wine sweet. There’s enough acidity to keep it lifted, a full body that wraps around your palate like a velvet curtain, and ripe, soft tannins that give it structure without harshness. The fizz is creamy and well-integrated, giving everything a playful pop without overwhelming the depth.

It’s a very good wine, full of clearly defined, expressive flavours and balanced beautifully between fruit, spice, sweetness and structure. The finish lingers nicely with a touch of cocoa, spice and cherry jam, though it stops just short of the length you’d expect in truly outstanding wines. Still, it more than earns its stripes.

This is not a wine to tuck away for years, its charm lies in the freshness of its fruit, the vibrancy of its bubbles and the immediate pleasure it delivers in the glass. Leave it too long and that beautiful fruit and floral lift will begin to fade.

Nice slightly chilled.