Clover Hill
Scott and I were thoroughly impressed by the new multi-vintage (MV) range from Tassie sparkling superstar, Clover Hill. We had the pleasure of tasting through the lineup last week and were blown away by the energy and precision evident in each of the wines. Under the guidance of chief winemaker Robert Heywood, Clover Hill has moved in an exciting new direction, refocusing the house style as energetic, fresh, aperitif-style sparklings with a multi-vintage approach.
“We’re rewriting the rules of sparkling wine”
The house-style of these new MV sparklings is so vibrant and energetic. The freshness simply leaps out of the glass. While Clover Hill have always maintained a solid reputation for exceptional sparkling wines, the new style is an elevated progression of nearly four decades of experimentation.
“Our method is inspired by Champagne but enhanced by Australian ingenuity”
The multi-vintage approach has already been taken up by numerous Champagne houses such as Roederer (Collection series), Krug (Grand Cuvee), and Laurent Perrier (Grand Siecle). Base reserve wines are topped up each vintage to perpetuate a distinctive house style, similar to the solera system. The Clover Hill multi-vintage consists of four reserve wines aged on lees as well as large and small format oak, then held under pressure to retain aromatics, resulting in sparklings of both immense freshness and complexity.
They are a delight to drink.
As Heywood cheekily asserts, “life is too short to drink.. Prosecco”