Consistency and reliability are as important to a wine brand as they are a relationship. In my eyes if you can minimise the vagaries of life… do so. I say this after recently coming home to discover my ceiling missing. In the time it took to complete a gym class and the grocery shopping, my partner had successfully removed the ceiling from our entire downstairs area (and only functioning storage) in the house. As a disclaimer, the house is under construction and my partner is not a sociopath??
Nonetheless, I currently find myself living in the confines of an IKEA studio apartment showroom, with 30-year-old insulation batts and asbestos in lieu of Swedish meatballs. So, when your Sundays become a health hazard, there is nothing you seek more than the comforts of a reliable wine. Fortunately for me, samples from The Lane Vineyard couldn’t have come with more fortuitous timing.
The Lane Lois Blanc de Blancs NV
90 Points | $25.00
The back label reads ‘you mark the occasion Lois will bring the celebration’ – seeing as The Lane left this open to interpretation, for me, sometimes surviving a Wednesday is all the ‘occasion’ you need. Almost translucent, its twinkling bubbles form a Milky Way spiral in the glass. Top notes of green apple, lemon spritz, daffodil, hints of hay, and despite being my final selection in a box of assorted creams, an enjoyable orange cream biscuit. Dainty on the nose and vivacious on the palate – its burgeoning mousse bares granny smith apples, white grapefruit, yuzu and sherberty phenolics. Together with its talc mineral finish and price point, Wednesdays are noticeably more appealing.
The Lane Chardonnay 2023
91 Points | $30.00
Unlike missing ceilings and banned building materials, The Lane’s Chardonnay is a pleasant surprise. Garden-fresh perfumed, a combination of granny smith, white nectarine, sliced lemon, nashi pear, hints of mandarin and a saline line of olive brine. With exception to the self-indulgent rhyme, everything is demure. The palate, however, tells a different story as fruits grow riper, and a richness evolves. Therein lies the charm. Lemon flesh moves to curd, leaving its pith as a gentle texture to the wine. Complemented by the sweet nuttiness of almond meal and a brew of camomile and spiced apple tea, there is a warmth and spice that comes from time in oak. It must be said that the acid line of the region never falters as the wine ties together with that tart creaminess of good passionfruit yoghurt.
