Pirie Late Disgorged 2011

Tasmania is quietly, resolutely, cementing a reputation for top quality sparkling wines. Cool, wet years like 2011 is where that reputation comes under scrutiny. Questions will rise over the potential for cool years like 2011 to deliver high levels of acidity, which is where a late disgorged (L.D.) style can come into its own.

Eleven years have passed for the Pirie 2011 L.D. sparkling, if there were any sharp edges to start, they are nicely rounded and there’s the added bonus of some lovely flavours being forged during its time on lees and then in bottle.

Mid-yellow and still youthful to the eye. Buttered toast and just-baked bread meet the nose together with a summer basket of stone fruits – peach, nectarine – with grilled grapefruit, nougat.  So enticing to take in, like standing outside a bakery on a Sunday waiting for the day’s first croissants.

There is depth and complexity to this sparkling with time on lees lending a particularly silky texture that is hugely appealing. Lemon and mandarin skin join summer stone fruits, baked apple, buttered toast with a smear of Vegemite and saline/oyster shell crunch. Acidity is bright and lingering.

It’s not a cheap investment to leave a sparkling on lees and in bottle for an extended period of time. The investment is rewarded once it hits the glass.

Released July 1