Are you a thrill seeker? Like things from a high altitude? From colour to aroma, to flavour and the story... this sparkling wine has it all! It ticks all the boxes and we've had a wonderful response to it being poured by the glass at ARIA Sydney. It has been refreshing to find a wine with solid consistency and vibrancy of fruit.
It all started in April this year when I visited Eden Road winery in Murrumbateman for a Tumbarumba Workshop and International benchmark tasting. Amongst other great wines that day, I tried the 2001 Courabyra '805' Sparkling from Tumbarumba. I fell in love with this wine. A few months later I tried the 2008 and haven't looked back since. I've written about wines tasting better when consumed in their own territory. Courabyra sparkling wines taste great at their origin but they also taste delicious when consumed from far away.
Courabyra means 'pleasant place, family gathering' in Aboriginal. It is a sub-region that sits about 6km north of Tumbarumba, and is located 730 metres above sea level in the foothills of the Snowy Mountains, near Australia's highest peak Mount Kosciuszko. Wines from this sub-region typically produce styles that are high in natural acidity and minerality. The other sub-region of Tumbarumba is Maragle which is south and lower altitude, producing more textural wines with upfront fruit character.
Courabyra wines is the project of Brian and Cathy Gairn who established the vineyard site in 1993. The logo has been designed around the family theme as Cathy is one of eleven children. The circle in the middle of the logo represents one family member with ten siblings around the outside. The '805' refers to the vineyard address.
The 2008 is a blend of 62% pinot noir, 30% chardonnay and 8% pinot meunier. The wine spent 3.5 years on lees and was disgorged in November 2011. The sparkling base wine was put through malolactic fermentation.
Tasting notes: amazing light straw colour with aromas of pear skin, mineral and warm brioche. Soft, creamy palate with citrus backbone and hints of red currants, gingerbread and figs. Dry finish.
Would go well with: tuna sashimi & seaweed salad, BBQ snapper with mushroom risotto, gruyere or strong washed rind cows milk cheeses.
Tell your friends: Tumbarumba was named by the Wiradjuri people to mean 'Hollow Sounding Ground'.
Impress your friends: serve this sparkling in a Riedel pinot noir glass if you are pairing it with a main course. Being Pinot Noir dominant this will help bring out those red fruit flavours and will also soften the texture of the wine. If you want to stick with a classy champagne flute then I'd recommend the brand Zalto from Austria (pictured below). They are mouth-blown, look amazing, plus they are lead oxide free which results in a lighter, more flexible glass. Best of all they are well priced.
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| Zalto Champagne Flute |
To buy Courabyra: Click here to get some bubbles for Christmas ($45 per bottle)!
Hands down this is my best find for 2012 and without a doubt one of the finest producers of sparkling wine in Australia. Make your own mind up and try a bottle.
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