Utopos Sparkling Shiraz 2017 - In Bond

Notes from Kym “A very special wine indeed.  A celebration of shiraz in its finest form.  The Utopos Sparkling Shiraz starts its life as does our still Shiraz.  After 18 months in older oak it finds its way into bottle where a secondary fermentation is initiated and the gas is produced and trapped in the wine.  We then age the wine on the secondary fermentation yeast lees for around 3 years to maximise texture and complexity before disgorging and sealing under crown seal for absolute certainty that the wine will present exactly as we anticipated – with a perfectly balanced palate of rich fruit and a persistent bead of fine bubbles. Being a vintage wine, the intent is to only make this wine in years in which it is appropriate to do so, so it may not be a continuous vintage by vintage supply”

96+ - 97 Points - Stuart McCloskey “In short, and with my limited Aussie sparkling Shiraz experience, this is by far my favourite – In fact, this is very good indeed. The bouquet is bold and gallops out of the glass with blackcurrant pastille, poached plum, black cherry, violet, fruitcake, fresh mint, dried spice and the faintest hint of menthol – leather in the background. The palate feel is wonderful – the mousse foams seductively. Without stating the obvious, this is very Utopos in style – big and rich with perfectly judged acidity to provide lift in its step. The quality is unmistakable. The flavours mirror the bouquet. The fruit is rich and poached in a wonderful syrup. Fruitcake and all its plethora of spices emerge at a gentle pace. Very controlled and nothing runs away with itself. This comes sealed under a crown cap which is great for ageing – this will be fantastic in 10-15 years, giving way to gamey complexity. For now, this is downright delicious, fun, fruity, frothy and exuberant. Great summer BBQ wine without being too cliché. Do not overchill. Served using Zalto Universal glassware