Mitchell Peppertree Vineyard Sparkling Shiraz NV is one of Australia’s most celebrated sparkling red wines — a limited release of extraordinary depth and complexity, crafted in the traditional method from a multi-vintage blend of Peppertree Vineyard Shiraz stretching back up to 17 years. First made in 1990, this is a wine of genuine heritage and character: bottle fermented, aged 18 months on lees, and dosed with an eight-year-old fortified Shiraz that adds richness, complexity, and a lick of sweetness to the layered berry fruits. Bright ruby in the glass with a fine bead; sour cherry and earthy undertones leading to a lingering plummy richness.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
Bright ruby with a fine, persistent bead — the vivid, celebratory colour of a traditional method Sparkling Shiraz from the Peppertree Vineyard, with the depth and concentration that a multi-vintage blend of Clare Valley Shiraz and 18 months on lees deliver.
Aroma
Youthful sour cherry and earthy undertones — chocolate, mint, and eucalyptus drawing you in early, with licorice, black plums, dark raspberries, and a hint of rosemary and sage seeping through crushed blackberries. Complex, rustic, and unmistakably Australian.
Palate
A lick of sweetness folding into layered berry fruits — plummy richness, chocolate, mint, and a delectable earthiness at the core, with well-worn leather, baked earth, and a decent mouthful of tannins to grip and guide. Beautifully soft and supple. Dangerously easy to drink.
Pairs With
Made for butterflied lamb on the barbecue, a classic steak, or a chocolate tart for dessert — equally rewarding on its own, and a timely reminder of just how good Australian Sparkling Shiraz can be. Drink to five years.
Finish
Lingering, soulful, and deeply satisfying — sour cherry, plummy richness, chocolate, and earthy complexity fading with the grip and character of a traditional method Sparkling Shiraz dosed with eight-year-old fortified Shiraz. Impressive. Heroic. Mitchell.
Awards & Reviews
Top 20 Sparkling Wines — The Weekend Australian Magazine Top 100 Wines
Wine Pilot — Tony Love — 94 Points
“Right up there with the best of its class... earthy, rocky, leathery as well as suggesting tinges of kitchen garden herbs like rosemary and sage that have been seeped in a bucket of crushed blackberries. Impressive and heroic.”
QWine — Steve Leszczynski — 92 Points
“A moreish and complex wine ready for your drinking pleasure... The chocolate and minty factor is high and draws you in early. A lick of sweetness folds into the layered berry fruits. Great stuff!”
Grape Vine — Nick Ryan
“Text book stuff, able to express vivacity of youth with the complex cragginess of age all at once... beautifully soft and supple, dangerously easy to drink and a timely reminder of just how good these wines can be.”
