2019 Warramate Sparkling, Yarra Valley

Pale to medium gold in the glass, with a fine, steady bead and aromas of toffee apple, warm hay and sea spray. Rich and toasty on the palate, broad and generous with a tingle of zesty acidity and chalky grip at the finish. Drink to 2030.

92 points Melissa Moore for The Real Review, September 2026

This is a delicious and well-balanced 55/45 sparkling blend of Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay made in the traditional bottle fermented method. It is finely textured and feels generous yet light on its feet.

Wineries seal sparkling wines with crown seals during the secondary lees aging and only use the familiar mushroom shaped cork closures when dispatching orders. This producer has opted to use a crown seal even for their disgorged wines. The advantage of this is the same as with screwcaps for table wines – elimination of cork taint and random oxidisation, the aim being the wine reaching the customer as the winemakers intended.

More about this wine

The handpicked grapes were whole bunch pressed to minimise colour and phenolic extraction, and the lightly clarified juice transferred to old oak barrels for fermentation and an eight-month maturation before the two varieties were blended in stainless steel, bottled, tiraged and left to rest on secondary lees for six years prior to disgorgement.

About this producer

Established by the Church family in 1970, the well-regarded Warramate vineyard has since 2011 been part of neighbouring Yarra Yering, a Yarra Valley icon established in 1969 by Sydney-born Dr Bailey Carrodus. Yarra local Andrew Gorge has led the team looking after the vineyards since 2012, with Brokenwood alumna Sarah Crowe joining as his counterpart at the winery a year later.