Parish Lane Blanc de Blancs 2008

May 27, 2013

Parish Lane Blanc de Blancs 2008 (Great Southern, WA)
12%, Crown Seal, $30
Source: Sample
www.parishlanewines.com

The biggest issue with crown seals? They’re not even slightly sexy. No pop, a beer bottle opener required for removal and a rather benign appearance. Not sexy at all.

Still, quality-wise crown seal is a winner. Sexiness be damned, we want fresh sparklings!

This particular crown sealed sparkling comes from Albany in WA, a town that forms one of the southern extensions of the huge Great Southern region, and a beautiful part of the world. Cold water and lots of sharks, but beautiful. Rieslings seem to work better here than anything else, but Pinot, Chardonnay and Shiraz and just-about-anything gets a run.

Not much bubbly though, particular bottle fermented and hand disgorged wines like this. Lots of hard work required in hand disgorging. A labour of love.

Stylistically this Parish Lane is not sexy either. Refreshing, but not sexy. A slightly broad bead, it carries a neutral, indistinct palate that has rather firm, quality acidity but not much in the way of flavour. It’s refreshing and certainly better structured than many Australian bubblies, but with little lees age or winemaking derived complexity on offer, I found myself looking for something more than just green apple acidity.

Drink: 2013-2016
Score: 16/20 87/100
Would I buy it? No.

2008, Great Southern, Sparkling, Wine

Andrew Graham was once voted the 23rd most trusted wine critic on the planet. A WCA Journalism Young Gun now old hack with 25yrs as a buyer, judge, journalist, marketer and too much more.

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