I had a bottle of this on Saturday Night.

Made utilising the traditional methods of Champagne the wine is a blend of Pinot Noit, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. This particular vintage seems to have a dominant blend of Pinot Noir (don't have the exact stats) due to it's inceased palate weight.

The Standard NV is rated amongst NZ's top bubbles and the vintage is another step up again.

The vintage wines are only made in superiour years.
1998 was amongst NZ's top vintages of the nineties. So far as to say it was the top vintage as an average across the country, since 1983.

However for Marlborough 1996 was probably the best vintage with 1998 a close second behind.

The development of this wien is amazing and it is released three to four years after it is made. I recieved my allocation of the 1998 only four months ago.

This wine retails for $48 NZD ($24 USD)

Colour: Golden hued straw with a pink tinge (another reason I think this wine is Pinot dominant). The bead is consistant although slightly larger than a high class Champagne.
Nose: Oppulent fruit driven fig and dried fruit characters with hints of lime and lemon zest
Palate: Full rich wine with structured full mouth feel. The palate weight is excellent with good evervescent effect from the bubbles. They play well on the palate creating a "fusion" of textures.
Overall: A wonderful wine with potential for aging. This is a "masculine" bubbles. 92/100 on the Jeremy Scale.

Thanks Jeremy. As you know I've got six of the little minxes hiding back at my place. I haven't opened one yet but will find an opportunity soon.

Nice to see your postings again. I've missed them over there.

I'll have to look for this (wonder if I'll be able to find it). These are the exact characteristics I look for in champagne. Thanks Jeremy!!

According to www.wine-searcher.com this is not available in the USA. It is available at several places in NZ and England (and a couple in Austrailia). Jeremy or Gavin could probably get you a bottle but it looks like obtaining it in the USA will be tough (if not impossible). Cost is around $20.

Lilac,
If you can wait till November I can bring some. Also if you are really desparate for a drop I can send you some but the shipping for a bottle ain't cheap. PM me if you wish to discuss this.

The LCBO is releasing this wine at the end of April in Ontario. I'm looking forward to picking up at least 3-4 bottles at $35CAD.

Maybe I should buy more (if I can) to take down to the Swamp n Stomp ... it would likely go well with the Oysters Gabie.

You won't regret it. It is similar in character to vintage Veuve, great with oysters.

Didn't see the point of starting a thread for my last bottle of 1996 so I'm invading a Jeremy thread - again!

So, refresher:

"Popped open the cork and was immediately hit by the yeasty aroma pretty much filling the room. There was no doubting that we'd opened a Champagne style sparkler.

To look at it is mid yellow with a feint pink tinge and looked extremely elegant in the plain Champagne flutes I used. Bubbles were small but not quite the tiny size of fair vintage Champers. Overall looking very classy.

The yeast subsided in to a gentle fresh baked bread undertone and a hint of strawberry came through.

In the mouth the bubbles were lovely dancing on the tongue rather than giving it a jacuzzi massage and the strawberries came through even more along with a freshness from the Chardonnay. It ends off with a long limey finish but leaves a nice satisfying afterglow for a long time following its disappearance.

Overall, this makes many a Vintage Champagne seem ordinary and can compete with some very good ones. It remains a KillerB favourite and I now have to go and get some 1998 as it's been offered to me. Only fault is that it is not as flavour-filled as the 1994, gets a favourable 92 KB points and at £13 (1998 is £15 though) wins hands-down on QPR."

That's what I wrote in November. Slugged the last one down in the garden on Monday evening. The Sun was still shining through the trees, the garden flowers were still open and giving off gentle scents and the Pelorus was gorgeous.

I still hold with the slightly-less-flavour attribute but this was such a pleasant experience on a Bank Holiday that it is hard to fault. Lady K seemed to be also very fond of it and refused to make any sense for the rest of the evening

The six 1998s are looking worried.

Cheers for the update. I've got four left at home and was thinking "hmm I wonder how they are developing?Aw, lets just- no must reessisstt....."

Update, tasted 30th June 2003

Colour and bead: Haven't changed much although the wines seems slightly more golden pinker (think ripe peachces) rather than bright pinker.
Nose: The nose has sdeveloped quite impressively. Although the fig notes are still evident, they have become more subdued with soft strawberry and peach notes also now evident.
Palate:Great hits of bubbles on the fore palate, excellent acids and structure, with a finish that drops away leaving lemon flavours lingering around the palate.
Overall: I would knock this up another point to 93.

Good to hear it. I've got an old friend popping over next week and I thought I'd crack one open for her - now convinced.

They'll enjoy it I'm sure.

It turns out that they may have just got engaged! This calls for a little celebratory opening - I have no problems using Pelorus for a celebration but I've got to sort out something for them to take home as well. Got to be Champagne so I'll find a bottle of Roederer or Veuve or maybe something pink.

Did someone say Veuve Rose?

No, there was an 'or' in there. I've never seen a Veuve Rose - do they make one?

> No, there was an 'or' in there. I've never seen a Veuve Rose - do they make one?

yes, at least for vintage Champagne. Check out http://www.clicquot.com/wineries/wine.asp?winery=clicquot

And it's awesome!!

I meant to reply yesterday that I'd discovered its existence by accident. A post in another dimension mentioned it. As it was I got them a bottle of vintage Veuve and we cracked two Pelorus last night. After doing the obligatory tour of the house we took it into the garden as the weather is steaming here at the moment.

I didn't take notes (it seemed rude) but I can promise you that it went down extremely well with all concerned. My friend's new fiance was driving so he didn't have much, Lady KillerB came back from London exhausted and only had one glass. So, the rest of the two bottles was shared between a very slight woman and me. We didn't complain.

Futronic brought this to the Friday night event at Gabrielle in New Orleans last weekend. It was a very nice sparkler with some bread dough and lemony notes. It was light and dry with medium size bubbly. It was quite fine with the oyster dish.