2022 Terre à Terre Daosa Sparkling Rosé, Adelaide Hills

This is 66/30/4% pinot meunier/pinot noir/chardonnay. Disgorged September 2024. This is a delight. Frisky sparkling of great energy, immense character, light savouriness and distinct, expressive mineral charm. A striking saline, briny vein through tart cranberry, rosehip tea, crisp red cherry and dashes of sweet spice, green almond and white pepper. So fragrant; tightly wound fizz with a light, white balsamic zing in tow. Quite focused in its way. So much character here, fine detail in fruit, savouriness, minerality and pristine bubbles. Wonderful stuff.

96 points Special Value Mike Bennie winecompanion.com.au 

Terre à Terre DAOSA Sparkling Rosé from the Adelaide Hills is a sophisticated, small-production sparkling wine that beautifully captures the cool-climate elegance of this elevated region. DAOSA (an acronym for Dedicated Artisans of South Australia) is the sparkling wine arm of Terre à Terre, the acclaimed Wrattonbully-based label founded by Xavier Bizot and Lucy Croser. This family lineage connects directly to Australian sparkling royalty: Lucy is the daughter of Brian Croser, founder of Petaluma, and Xavier is a member of the Bollinger family. It’s no surprise then that DAOSA is a Champagne-inspired project with Australian character, driven by meticulous viticulture and precision winemaking.

The fruit for DAOSA Sparkling Rosé comes from the Bizot Vineyard at Summertown in the Piccadilly Valley, one of the highest and coolest parts of the Adelaide Hills. The vineyard sits on ancient sandstone soils over clay and is managed organically, producing small, intensely flavoured Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The 2021 base wine for this release was made in the traditional method, with secondary fermentation in bottle and over 24 months ageing on lees before disgorgement. A small proportion of reserve wine adds depth and complexity, while the final dosage is restrained to highlight freshness and balance.

In the glass, it glows a delicate salmon pink with fine, persistent bubbles. The nose is captivating, offering red apple, wild strawberry and white cherry layered with rose petals, brioche and hints of almond and orange peel. On the palate, it’s elegant and textural, combining the creamy richness of lees ageing with vibrant acidity and a whisper of savoury spice. The finish is long, dry and chalky, leaving a lingering note of pink grapefruit and redcurrant.

This sparkling rosé is wonderfully versatile and food-friendly. It’s ideal with cured salmon, grilled prawns, duck rillettes or soft cheeses like Delice de Bourgogne. It also works beautifully with sushi or roast chicken with cranberry glaze. While superb now for its youthful energy and freshness, it will continue to evolve gracefully over the next 5 years, developing more biscuit and nutty complexity.