2018 Delamere Sparkling Blanc de Blancs, Tasmania

100% chardonnay with a minimum of six years' tirage, first disgorgement August '25, 5g/L dosage. Light straw in the glass with a fine, energetic bead and mousse. Aromas of baked apple, lemon, grapefruit and white peach with hints of freshly baked brioche, crushed sea shells, meadow flowers, shortbread biscuits and gentle spice. As is always the case with Delamere wines, there's a pitch-perfect focus and a long draw of flavour as the wine retreats. The end point is dry, daubed with umami and downright delicious. Drink to 2038.

96 points (Special Value) Dave Brookes for Halliday Wine Companion, March 2026

Sourced from the oldest blocks of Chardonnay planted at Delamere, it brings an air of complexity and elegance that raises it above the sparkling pack. With bass notes in almond bread, baked quince and striking honeyed gingerbread notes, it strikes out in flavours that combine the honeysuckle and citrus blossom floral with grapefruit, lemon and quince. Autolysis is definitely a part of the layers, subtle and a little savoury, with notes of rockpool and oyster shell. Acidity, as always, remains alive and super fresh as it reaches its eighth year. Drink to 2028.

95 points Jeni Port for Wine Pilot, January 2026

Pale lemon with a fine bead at the rim. Green apple, lemon balm and sourdough crust aromas. Layered apple and citrus fruit, bakery notes and deeper nougat characters are bound by crisp acidity softened by a fine creamy mousse. Great length and persistence, finishing supple and inviting another sip. Drink to 2031.

94 points Stuart Knox for The Real Review, January 2026

Delamere was one of the pioneering vineyards in the Pipers Brook region of northern Tasmania. Planted in 1981, it was later purchased by current co-owners and winemakers Shane Holloway and Fran Austin with their families. Celebrated for the sparkling wines, the site’s still wines are of equal calibre. Shane and Fran’s suite of wines also include the Flyleaf wines, with fruit grown in other vineyards of North-West Tasmania complementing the estate fruit from younger vines.

The Delamere vineyard is planted to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Meunier. It is a steep hillside with rich ironstone soils offering both excellent drainage and strong moisture retention. Close planted at 7,500 vines per hectare, and with low fruiting wires, it is entirely tended by hand.

The region has an exceptionally low diurnal range resulting from a rare alignment of geographical influences, allowing grapes to mature slowly while preserving the acidity that is essential for premium sparkling wine bases. Grower-producers (Récoltant-Manipulant) in the true sense of the term, Shane and Fran have chosen to only offer estate grown and made sparkling wines that are made with the traditional champenoise method of secondary fermentation in bottles.

The 2018 season started with a late bud burst but picked up warmth early on and ending with an early harvest with a narrow window for picking at optimal flavour intensity and acidity. Quality of fruit was excellent.

The all-Chardonnay grapes for this wine were whole bunch pressed, wild fermented, and the wine allowed full malolactic fermentation. Tirage took place in November 2018, with the first disgorging in August 2025 with a low dosage of 5g/L.

The wine welcomes with a fine, dynamic bead and persistent mousse. The nose is sophisticated and layered, with a prism of citrus and bakery aromas. The harmonious palate is focused and lively, with a wealth of citrus and quince flavours and suggestions of sweet pastries. Long, remaining precise until the savoury mineral clutch.

This sparkling wine is elevated with food that plays with caramelisation, delicate fats, and savory umami: crispy taro croquettes filled with matsutake and ginkgo nuts, pan-seared scallops with XO pipis and vermicelli or Teochew crispy skin chicken.