- Wine: Clover Hill Cuvée Exceptionnelle Blanc de Blancs 2014
- Variety: Chardonnay
- Price: $70
- Find it: From Clover Hill directly Online
- Region: Tasmania
- Body: Light to medium
- Mouthfeel: Creamy
- Taste: Creamy, delicate, bright
- Flavours: Hazlenut, lemon curd, citrus, brioche
- Seafood
- Cheese
The Clover Hill Cuvée Exceptionnelle Blanc de Blancs 2014 is a beautiful sparkling wine that is all too easy to enjoy. This wine would make a great gift, but I suggest keeping one for yourself because it is almost too good to share! Toasty flavours of brioche are balanced out by lemon curd and citrus in this mouth-watering drop that truly rivals Champagne.
With Valentine’s Day over the weekend, I took the opportunity to really spoil my partner. He had taken me out for a beautiful dinner before Valentine’s Day, so I figured the least I could do was make the day itself special. So I planned a beautiful cheese spread and cooked something special, and then all that was left was to choose the wine! I had been looking for a reason to pop open this special bottle from Clover Hill Wines and thought this was the perfect excuse. Not that you should need an excuse to treat yourself to a nice bottle of wine! But this certainly made the occasion even more special.
I love trying new sparkling wines, and although I had tried Clover Hill Wines Tasmanian Cuvee before, I hadn’t tried anything else from their range. So when I had an excuse to crack open one of their premium sparkling wines, I took it. This wine is perfect for special occasions and seriously delivered on flavour. Now I almost wish I didn’t have to share it!
About Clover Hill Wines
Clover Hills Wines was established in a former dairy farm in north-east Tasmania in 1986. The Goelet family were on the hunt for a site where they could produce world-class sparkling wine to rival the Champagne region. The site they chose was the perfect location for producing Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling wine.
Since their first vintage in 1991, Clover Hill has gained a great reputation for quality, elegance, finesse and the distinguished Tasmanian style of their wines. Their attention to detail and care in producing wines has meant their Sparkling Wines are some of the most awarded and well regarded, with numerous awards to approve is including being inducted into the Australian Sparkling Hall of Honour.
The Clover Hill Cuvée Exceptionnelle Blanc de Blancs 2014 is produced when Clover Hill has an exceptionally high-quality Chardonnay vintage with abundant winter and sprint rainfall followed by a mild yet sunny ripening season. In 2014 the growing season was extended allowing the fruit to ripen to its full potential. The wine was then made using the traditional method, and these bottles were aged on lees for a minimum of five years to produce an outstanding Sparkling Wine.
Why I loved the Clover Hill Cuvée Exceptionnelle Blanc de Blancs
The Clover Hill Cuvée Exceptionnelle Blanc de Blancs 2014 is a seriously beautiful wine both in appearance and flavour. It has a lovely golden colour in the glass with beautiful fine and persistent bubbles. I was mesmerised by what was going on in my glass so much I almost didn’t want to take a sip!
In terms of aromas, I got a lovely toastiness of hazelnuts, brioche and honey which you find in wines made using the traditional method. The palate itself was creamy and textured, and had some lovely flavours of citrus and lemon curd. I loved these bright notes at the end of the sip to really balance out the creaminess in the wine. It meant the wine was all too easy to sip, meaning the bottle got polished far quicker than I would have liked! Be warned: this wine is seriously delicious and you may not want to share!
Although this wine has a price point rivalling what we expect from Champagne, I think it is warranted. The wine is beautifully balanced and seriously delicious. I couldn’t fault it, and think it would be perfect for a special occasion. Or, just to spoil that special someone. It would also make a great gift, as it can be enjoyed now or cellared for 10 or so years to allow the flavours to develop further.
What to enjoy it with
The Clover Hill Cuvée Exceptionnelle Blanc de Blancs 2014 can be enjoyed with or without food. I think this wine is so beautiful on its own and could easily be sipped without anything else. Just simply enjoy the flavours in the wine!
If you do want to pair it with food, I personally loved enjoying this with some cheese. Creamy Camembert or Brie would go so well with this wine, and we really enjoyed sipping it over a cheese platter. If you want something more substantial, seafood is a great option. Oysters, lobster or even just some fish would be a great pairing.
My preference would be to simply enjoy this wine on its own. It has a great range of flavours that you can sip on and appreciate without needing food there.
In summary: Clover Hill Cuvée Exceptionnelle Blanc de Blancs
The Clover Hill Cuvée Exceptionnelle Blanc de Blancs 2014 is a beautiful Sparkling Wine that seriously delivers on flavour. Sitting at that higher price point it makes for a great gift or a wine that’s perfect for celebrations. Toasty notes of brioche and hazelnuts are balanced out by citrus and lemon curd for a beautiful sip that’s all too easy to enjoy.
You can find out more about Clover Hill wines and purchase this one on their website.
Note: I was sent this wine as a sample. I was under no obligation to post about it