Yvonne Lorkin Canvas Column for Saturday 8th September 2018
It’s Saturday, time to get fizzicle…
Quartz Reef Bendigo Estate Blanc de Blancs Methode Traditionnelle 2013 $75 
Normally when I sip a bit of sparkling I’m all laughter, smiles, clinking my glass and yet as soon as I’d wrapped my lips around this new release, I was struck silent. This is so good. It’s like licking a fresh lemon then drinking white peach and elderflower juice poured over almond meal. The texture is soft, pillowy and the mousse is marshmallow light. So rich, yet crisp and refined, elegant and ethereal in enjoyment-factor, it’s an organic, biodynamically-produced beauty.
Sip with: whitebait fritters
Esses Madame Marlborough Méthode Traditionnelle Brut Cuvee 2012 $70 
Biscuity biscuit laced with more biscuity bonza-ness here from a Marlborough producer that has only just appeared on my radar. Hand harvested, whole bunch pressed, aged for at least 3 years before bottling, this golden-in-the-glass wine is a smooth, shortbread-scented sparkler with delicate beading (that’s ‘bubbles’) and a long, nutty, creamy, champagne-like finish.
Sip with: salmon and watercress salad
Gran Campo Viejo Cava Brut Reserva NV $24.99
The world’s biggest selling Spanish wine brand has finally unleashed its sparkler on our shores. Pronounced ‘karmpoh-vay-hoh’, they make their cava from a blend of Parellada, Xa-rello and Macabeo grapes grown in Catalonia and processed in the same traditional method as Champagne. Zesty and deliciously dry, with a lemony backbone, hints of almond and stitched together with a mineral-heavy thread – it’s a new favourite fizz for me.
Sip with: Potato and feta picnic pie a-la-Langbein.
www.thegoodwine.co.nz
