Good Pair Days - Dominique Portet 'LD' Brut Rosé NV

Dominique Portet (the man) was bred in the purple...surrounded by winemaking 'royalty'. He spent his early years at the world famous Chateau Lafite in Bordeaux and was one of the first Flying Winemakers, commuting to Clos du Val in the Napa Valley, where his brother was winemaker. He then spent over 20 years as managing director of Tasmanian stalwart wineries Taltarni and Clover Hill. After retiring from Taltarni, he moved to the Yarra Valley, and in 2001 he found the site he felt like he had always looked for!

Son Ben is now executive winemaker, leaving Dominique with a roving role as consultant, brand marketer and general busybody! Ben has a winemaking CV as long as his arm, covering all parts of France, South Africa, California and multiple vintages at Petaluma in South Australia. Together, this father and son are responsible for a wonderful range of Yarra wines that cover many different grape varieties and styles, with a thread of savouriness tying all the wines together.

The grapes for this traditional-method sparkling come from two vineyards in the Upper Yarra. It's a mix of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier. It sits lees for 2 years to build extra weight, and reveals itself as a totally delicious and elegantly poised wine, with fresh red fruits dancing around a tingling spine of acidity. Wonderful.