Vintage - NV, chardonnay

Delamere Vineyards were planted in 1982 in the Pipers River region in northeast Tasmania making it one of the oldest plantings not only in the region but in Tasmania. They have 6.5ha under vine and its age makes it a rare resource in Tasmania. The ironstone rich soils are perfectly suited to the cultivars of pinot noir and chardonnay, and was established in the traditional French design used in Burgundy and Champagne.

The low yield per vine and the reflective heat from the ground produces wines with superior depth of flavour and ripe well-developed tannins. Vine age and subsequent natural balance are key factors in the consistent production of wines with great structure and harmony.

Perfumed and pretty on the nose but then racy on the palate. It feels like a low-dosage style. Strawberries, lime blossom, grapefruit and lemon rind. It all sizzles out through the finish, with length to burn. CAMPBELL MATTINSON, the winefront 

Based in Rully and presided over by third-generation winemaker-proprietor Philippe Chautard, Maison Louis Picamelot produces some of the best sparkling wines in Burgundy. Forever in Champagne's shadow, few take Crémant de Bourgogne seriously. But what this Maison is doing is already impressive and well worth open-minded consumers' attention. WILLIAM KELLEY, Wine Advocate

Makes you smile this wine. There's a generosity of aromatic that leads you through baked pastry, fresh cut stonefruits and then an invogorating punch of crushed stone minerality puffs into view. It's kind of like a Champagne letting it's hair down on the palate as well, genrosity of well-defined fruit is edged with minerality and oyster shell while the fine bead cinches and tucks in the effusive edges. Its got enough in it for the serious-minded fizz drinker but is also playful and generous enough to keep you pulling it out of the fridge for pretth much any pcassion. MICHAEL MCNAMARA

This thing hits it out of the park in terms of delivering quality and value. It doesn’t hold back with packing in the flavour either. The fruit is present and accounted for, with a nice lick of minerality and some back end punch, but what is really striking is the yeasty, brioche, burnt toast mealy characters that immediately greet you as you take your first sniff. It has all the bells and whistles. As a Champagne nerd I love to see that in the wine, as distinctly different to my fetish for Grower Bubbles, give me some of that expressively yeasty goodness. Substantial length here too. This will be one hell of a crowd pleaser. ROSCOE

STAFF PICKS 2024 - ALEX WILCOX

The Prince Wine Store team uncovered the Lilbert on a recent trip to France and we were very lucky to be given a small allocation for Australia. This tiny producer (3.5 hectare) is a great addition to our Champagne portfolio. For me this is what champagne is all about - pure fine and elegant with an underlying power - this is truly an anywhere, anytime great bottle of Champagne. If you haven't tried it, you really should.

Bertrand Lilbert's crafts his wines from 100% Chardonnay grown in the Northern part of the Cote du Blanc, the NV is a blend of 50% reserve wine and 50% from 2016 for this most recent bottling. As small grower Champagne prices continue to skyrocket this cuvee is great value for money and will stand up against many bigger name Blanc du Blanc. Elsewhere, these wines have a cult like following, something we hope to help build here. This will be a feature of my Christmas Day in Tamworth. ALEX WILCOX


Lilbert-Fils is a small, slightly under-the-radar grower in Cramant with a loyal following, and it's easy to see why. With 50% of the blend for the first wine of the house coming from a perpetual reserve of Cramant Chardonnay started in the 1990s by Bertrand Lilbert's father, this is an entry level that is anything but simple and youthful. The style is rather floral, with apricot and jasmine notes floating over a real hit of savour from the reserve and a bone dry, mineral presence. It's singular, yet harmonious; a blanc de blancs that takes care of the simple pleasures, yet hides rather a lot under the bonnet. TOM HEWSON, decanter.com

Note on previous release:
As is consistently the case with this wine, the nose is airy and almost delicate with its softly yeasty aromas of Granny Smith apples, lemon-lime and a floral top note. The ultra-fine if firm mousse contributes to the impression of refinement on the equally pure middle weight flavors that terminate in a clean, dry and delicious but not really austere finale…BURGHOUND

Tasmania has become such a hot-bed of awesome talent and great wine. As one of Australia's coolest wine growing regions pinot noir and chardonnay have excelled and sparkling wine still proves to be one of its crown jewels. These have been mainstays of the Apple Isle for some time and there looks this to be no stopping the tide of incredible examples of each making their way across the Tasman.

Fast-forward a generation and we are really starting to see what the verdant land can really turn out. In our mind some of the best Euro-styled rieslings are being produced there while the marginal climates and savvy wine-making are turning out some stellar textural pinot gris.

While pinot noir may reign supreme it is other reds like shiraz, that may, in time, prove to be something even more special. Time will tell and while it does we will happily sip our way through all that Tasmania's has to offer.