WA Sparkling Spotlight
Putting 13 of WA’s finest Sparklings to the test, with high profile Tassie & Victorian “yardsticks” throughout.
Easter Sunday & Monday
West Australian
Coward & Black | Frazer Woods
Howard Park | Idee Fixe | Mandoon Estate | Sittella
Tasmanian & Victorian
House of Arras | Bellebonne | Chandon | Clover Hill
“There are a number of Australian regions crafting exceptional sparkling wine that are true competitors to serious Champagne.”
Angus Hughson, Winepilot, Chasing Down Champagne 2025.
The WA wine industry is putting a significant and disciplined effort into sparkling wines.
Despite the supposedly unfavourable climate, the west nationally unknown for this style, is producing some of the nation’s finest.
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In the early 2000s, Houghton was awarded 2 Capital City Wine Show Trophies for Best Sparkling Wine of Show. The West's first!
In 2022 Sitella's Grand Vintage Blanc de Blancs 2016 won the Trophy at Perth - & in 2024, Mandoon Estate's Reserve Sparkling 2016 repeated that victory.
Add in the serious investments being put in at the Burch Family's Howard Park and at Paul Homes a Court's Idee Fix...Then the long standing & all encompassing labour of love put in by the “God Father” of Margaret River's Sparkling Industry, John Woods at Frazer Woods...
And now today we can proudly present the resulting series of wonderfully crafted, high quality and delicious WA sparkling wines.
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1st Bracket
Frazer Woods NV, Our Price $33Thalia 'Reserve' Cuvèe NV, Our Price $63
Sittella Cuvée Blanc Brut NV, Our Price $32
Clover Hill Cuvée Exceptionnelle NV, Our Price $43
Howard Park Jeté Premium Brut NV, Our Price $39
2nd Bracket
Coward & Black Blanc de Blanc NV, Our Price $65Idée Fixe Premier Brut Blanc de Blancs 2022, Our Price $42
Frazer Woods La Cache Blanc de Blancs 2016, Our Price $33
3rd Bracket
Howard Park Jeté Grand Vintage 2019, Our Price $53Chandon Australia Étoile Brut Non-Vintage, Our Price $120
4th Bracket
Sittella Grand Vintage Blanc de Blancs 2016, Our Price $55Mandoon Estate Reserve Sparkling 2016, Our Price TBC
House of Arras Grand Vintage 2015, Our Price $120
5th Bracket
Howard Park Jeté Rosè NV, Our Price $43Idée Fixe Premier Brut Rosè 2022, Our Price $50
Bellebonne Vintage Rosè 2021, Our Price $76
Sittella Avant-Garde Rosé 2019, Our Price $80
Sunday April 20
Lunch: 12-3pm, 17 Wines & 5 Courses $195
Masterclass: 4-6pm, 17 Wines with nibbles $175
(Two guest speakers at 4pm Tasting)
Dinner: 6:30pm, 17 Wines with 5 Courses $195
Monday, April 21 (Public Holiday)
Masterclass: 4-6pm, 17 Wines with nibbles $175
(Two guest speakers at 4pm Tasting)
The Wine List and Menu
1st Course
Frazer Woods NV
Top 100 Whites - The West Australian
"John Frazer has been a champion of West Australian sparkling for years. The wine is a blend of largely Pemberton fruit with about 31 per cent Margaret River. It has character and style and shows what can be done in this State."
Ray Jordan
Thalia Reserve Cuvée NV
A blend of Pinot Noir (83%) and Chardonnay (17%) which is a multi-regional blend, though all Tasmanian. The final blend is 35% from the Coal River Valley, 20% from the Huon Valley and the remainder from other parts of Tasmania. A small percentage of the final wine was fermented in older French oak. The wine spent 46 months on lees and has a dosage which just exceeds 9 grams/litre. An alluring lemon/straw colour, this is a cracking local fizz. It is quite biscuity with notes of freshly baked bread, stone fruits, citrus and smoky glacéd lemon. There is a whiff of fresh gingerbread as well. Lingering and balanced, this will provide enormous pleasure over the next four to six years.
94 Points Ken Gargett, Winepilot (October 2024)
Sitella Cuvée Blanc NV Brut
A soft and creamy sparkling wine that, despite its pudge and generosity, has a core of vivid, bright bubbles and cooling acid line. While the label says brut, there's a rich, sweet patisserie and nougat opulence to the wine, some briny minerality countering this, good doses of baked and fresh apple. It's got a lot of complexity for the pricepoint, offering up a rich, powerful style, with savouriness on hand, done well.
94 Points Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion (April 2025)
Clover Hill Cuvée Exceptionnelle NV
Bright straw yellow and a subtle bead in the core. Poached apple and just baked sourdough aromatics. Fruit tightens into green apple on the palate, still some nice savoury bakery complexity. Both driving acid and a mousse of vigour ensure it has intensity and length, to a crisp and dry finish that lingers long.
95 Points Stuart Knox, The Real Review (January 2024)
Howard Park Jeté Premium Brut NV
18.7/20 Points JJ (John Jens)
Fruit is based in the 2021 vintage with 30 months on lees, 47% Chardonnay, 43% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier and made in an extra brut style. Candied golden peaches, baked apple and lemon curd. Some honeysuckle blooms that lead to a delectable array of almond praline and toasted pine nuts. The good proportion of Chardonnay allows the wine to slither over the palate and the addition of reserve wine adds further complexity with sand stone, sea spray and oat milk creaminess. This is drinking beautifully and would work equally well with poached chicken salads but also has the ability to cut though creamy carbonara dishes too. A very reliable wine for all occasions.
93 Points Shanteh Wale, Wine Pilot (January 2025)
Salmon tartare, cauliflower cream
2nd Course
Coward & Black Blanc de Blanc NV
Idée Fixe Premier Brut Blanc de Blancs 2022
The unmistakable DNA of southern Margaret River Chardonnay and its cool, coastal influence runs through the core. Delicate layers of orange blossom and coastal Jasmine lead into wisps of oyster shell, wet stone and ocean mist above tempting notes of yellow plum and golden kiwi. Zesty lemon and crunchy Granny Smith carry through on the mid-palate while the sea foam mousse dances gracefully along the palate to unfurl a lingering, fine acid finish. 100% Chardonnay with 21+ months on lees and dosage of 5g/L.
Winery Notes, Idée Fixe Margaret River
Frazer Woods La Cache Blanc de Blancs 2016
Gold Medal - Langton's Margaret River Wine Show 2023
Chardonnay explodes on the palate with a freshness that’s hard to believe. A slurp of pineapple and lemon curd acidity turns to a delightful almond meal creaminess. This is in its peak drinking window with the ability to age for another 3-4 years as well. It blows my mind that this can be sold at its price tag, become a member of theirs and get it for $36, outrageous value. Traditional method sparkling wine is a true labour of love. This is outstanding drinking. Pour a glass, enjoy with prawn toast and be grateful Aussie winemakers love what they do.
96 Points Shanteh Wale, Winepilot (May 2024)
Wagyu bresola, crayfish and broad bean salsa
3rd Course
Howard Park Jeté Grand Vintage 2019
74% Chardonnay and 26% Pinot Noir from the distinguished Mount Barrow vineyard within the Mount Barker subregion of the Great Southern. 52 months on lees and the addition of reserve wines and made in an extra brut style. Yellow sapphire hues in the glass the wine opens with glace ginger, peach melba and drizzles of honey on buttered toast. Some hazelnut skin, cashew cream and a core of pineapple. There are added dimensions of crème brûlée torched bitters and flavour length for days. This walks the line between decadence and succulence, a small sip and you are left, still tasting it, moment after but equally blink and the bottle is empty.
94 Points Shanteh Wale, Wine Pilot (January 2025)
Chandon Australia Étoile Brut NV
An inaugural release. This is a true multi-vintage blend of eightyears of Chandon’s Vintage Brut reserve wines held in barrel dating back to 2005, which may have been too heavy and complex. In fact, it has exceptional balance, poise and length, with flavours spanning white peach to croissant leading to a lingering fresh finish.
97 Points James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion (November 2023)
Manchego croquettes, white balsamic pearls
4th Course
Sitella Grand Vintage 'MCL' Blanc de Blancs 2016
Trophy Winner – Best Sparkling Wine, Perth Royal Wine Awards 2022
Light to medium colour, with a nougat and toasty, lemon and straw-like bouquet, which translates into a tense, brightly crisp, high-acid palate, which is very dry and appetite stimulating. Lemon and oyster brine; a little oak nuttiness. Very tight and compact, it would be a great oyster companion.
93 Points Huon Hooke, The Real Review (September 2021)
Mandoon Estate Reserve Sparkling 2016
Trophy Winner – Best Sparkling Wine, Perth Royal Wine Awards 2024
From chardonnay fruit grown in Karridale. Matured on lees for a significant seven years. Scents of ginger, lime and pink grapefruit with whiffs of butter brioche and cinnamon in the mix. Fresh whiffs, all very pleasing and bright. Refreshing and clean to taste, brisk bubbles with a core of very saline and minerally acidity. Slightly slick, rich texture suggestive of stone fruit nectar with licks of woody spices, waxy green apple, ginger and more pink grapefruit. The message is 'lots going on'. It's a delight to drink.
92 Points Mike Bennie, Halliday Wine Companion (August 2024)
House of Arras Grand Vintage 2015
Trophy Winner – Best Sparkling White or Rosé, Sydney Royal Wine Show 2023
Gold Medal – Australian Sparkling Wine Show 2023
Gold Medal – Royal Hobart Wine Show 2023
Gold Medal – Decanter World Wine Awards 2023
The new release of the Grand Vintage sees a blend of 66.7/33.8% chardonnay/pinot noir sourced from the East Coast, Derwent Valley, Coal River Valley and Pipers River. On tirage seven years, dosage 2.6 g/L. Medium straw in the glass with an über-fine bead and energetic mousse. Aromas of juicy white peach, green apple, pithy grapefruit and pear cut with hints of soft spice, grilled nuts, fresh brioche, dried honey, orange blossom and stone. There are some umami notes on the palate – a gentle ache is all, but its presence is felt nevertheless. Notes of sea spray, honeycomb and fresh pastries swell on the mid-palate and the finish is long and true with tight acidity, impressive tension and a wash of biscuity tones on the exit.
96 Points Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion (September 2023)
Shark Bay whiting, tempura, shaved fennel, lemon
5th Course
Howard Park Jeté Rosé NV
18.6 Points JJ (John Jens)
It’s a coppery/pale-pink hue with plenty of fine bead then inflections of cherries and spice, red apple and a hint of woodsy spices. While it’s racy across the palate, partly due to perky acidity, it’s super dry and ultra-refreshing.
93 Points Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion (May 2024)
Idée Fixe Brut Rosé 2022
They say dogs resemble their owners—this wine resembles its winemaker. It’s as if they’ve bottled up the kind eyes, digestible personality, and fun, nonchalant attitude of winemaker Brendan Carr. White strawberry, sweet paprika, and custard-filled profiteroles. This silky fizz is simply enjoyable, gently comforting, and, quite frankly, delicious! Dominant in Karridale Chardonnay and softened with Pinot, you can see the grand potential of this sparkling house—and I look forward to watching the evolution of Idée Fixe over the next decade, Margaret River’s very own sparkling house! Drink with goat’s cheese, drink with your lover!
93 Points Cyndal Petty, Winepilot (February 2025)
Bellebonne Vintage Rosé 2021
The palate juggles creaminess with focused drive, and the acid framework is neatly tucked in at the edges. Mouthfilling, with great fruit weight and intensity of bright red berries, sour cherry, plus more of those crushed rose petals echoing the spring gardens of Launceston. Fine phenolics and a lick of wild spice and vanilla bean complete the picture. A swoon-worthy wine with layers of complexity and freshness, savoury hues and fruit vibrancy. She produces just 2,640 bottles of this beauty; all free-run juice from the first 400-420 litres of pressing, then two years on lees and 100% old oak. Nuanced, elegant and incredibly persistent. Wow!
97 Points Cassandra Charlick, Decanter (December 2024)
Sitella Avant-Garde Rosé 2019
Slightly dull smoked salmon colour, showing development, spicy and quince-paste aromas, hint of almond bread, pot-pourri, the palate lean and slightly angular, even a little hollow in the centre, but a fair sparkling rosé, with a slight grip at the end-palate.
93 Points Huon Hooke, The Real Review (January 2024)
Lemongrass and turmeric chicken, leafy greens
Too finish..
Espresso and macarons