Taltarni Brut Rosé "Tache" Sparkling Wine Victoria

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate for this sparkling wine from Victoria and Tasmania: "The Non-Vintage Brut Tache is a delightful, well-priced sparkling wine composed of 52% Chardonnay, 41% Pinot Noir, and 7% Pinot Meunier. A dash of red wine liqueur is added to the finished tirage wine at disgorgement to create the salmon pink color. The nose offers rose petal, peach, apricot, and wheat thin scents leading to a sparkler with a steady, persistent stream of small bubbles and red berry and nutty flavors. On the palate the wine is dry and refreshing, with a long, clean finish." (10/07) According to Wine & Spirits: "The bubbles look tiny but they power the strawberry and cherry fruit in this light pink sparkler, a brisk cut that leaves the finish clean. For rustic country pâté." (10/07) According to the Wine Spectator: "Pale pink in color, this dry, creamy-textured sparkler shows pretty watermelon and toast flavors. Drink now." (11/06) Taché is a French word meaning ‘stained’ and refers to the rare winemaking method used since 1985 at Taltarni to create this fine rosé-colored sparkling wine. Its delicate salmon pink color is achieved by adding a dash of red wine liqueur to the finished tirage wine at disgorgement. Crafted from a traditional blend of chardonnay (54%), pinot noir (36%) and pinot meunier (10%), Taltarni Brut Taché is bottle fermented and matured for a minimum of 18 months according to traditional ‘Mêthode Champenoise’ practices. Delicious!