2000 Apogee Deluxe Vintage Rosé $81

12/12/2024

When Apogee founder Dr Andrew Pirie first planted vines on his Lebrina property, he knew from years of experience at nearby Pipers Brook Vineyard that cool and ultra-cool seasons came hand-in-hand with the North East's remarkable sparkling wine terroir. That insider knowledge - combined with a good bit of lateral thinking - led to the development of Apogee's unique trellising system, a system of vine management that supports something like 21,000 m² of leaf area per hectare of vineyard.

That sounds incredibly nerdy. What really counts are the benefits. Superb ripe fruit in cool, tricky vintages. This stunning release of Apogee Vintage Rosé was picked on the first day of April. Well into autumn, when all those myriad leaves were nearing the end of their productive lives.

Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grown elsewhere under similar conditions are likely to have contributed significant herbaceousness to their finished sparkling wines. No such criticisms can be levelled here.

This is a wonderfully lively, vivacious wine that offers a rich, round palate of red berry fruits in the strawberry/raspberry flavour spectrum. Sure, it's very subtle, but it's also beautifully sustained. Chardonnay - around 17 percent of the blend - then enters the picture with its own special set of sensory contributions. Initial encounters suggest a salty/minerally/sea spray component. More typically varietal are the citrus-like notes that add freshness and vitality to the finish.

This is not your common garden vintage Rosé. It's Deluxe by name, deluxe by nature.

A Christmas cracker.

Source: Retail purchase.