Sparkling Shiraz

Leconfield, Coonawarra Sparkling Shiraz 2003 ($30) -- Australia by the Hamilton Wine Group. My recent gushing review of Fox Creek's Vixen led another rep to offer his Sparkling Shiraz at a recent wine tasting. I thought that this wine went very well with the Saturday afternoon Master's coverage! Here are some winemaking notes. I assume it is 100% Shiraz versus the Vixen's blend of Shiraz, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

"A careful selection of Shiraz from Leconfield’s 29 year old estate vineyards underwent its primary fermentation in stainless steel prior to maturation in French and American oak barrels. Various components were selected for their complexity and deep fruit character. Secondary fermentation took place in the bottle with the final liquoring adding further complexity and balance. A wonderful example of this unique Australian style, showing the depth of ripe fruit characters and elegance for which Coonawarra is famous."

The consensus was that this was a better wine than the Vixen (yeh, we had popped one already earlier in the day!) with more fruit and a softer finish. If you want to cause a stir at your next function, pull one of these wines and watch as your guests are amazed to be drinking a blood-red Sparkler, which is also a very good wine!