2011 Clover Hill Blanc de Blancs Cuvee Exceptionnelle, Tasmania

I loved the 2010 last year and Clover Hill has proven that this was no one hit wonder by backing it up with a successor every bit as remarkable. A pale straw hue heralds its elegance and precision, though there’s no shortage of refined complexity wrapped carefully into its folds. Some six years of lees age have drawn out delightful nuances of butter, toast, even a wisp of wood smoke. Its texture is a revelation, creamy, mouth filling and complete, yet never heavy or broad, seamlessly meshed with the fine acidity of this cool season.

100% chardonnay; reserve wine aged in old French oak barrels; aged at least five years on lees in bottle; disgorged 24 November 2017; 10.7g/L dosage