Teusner MC Sparkling Shiraz 2018

#1 of 16 2018 Sparkling Reds from Australia. Best Sparkling Red Real Review. The colour is an inviting deep red tinged with purple, and it has a voluminous bouquet of liquorice, plum and fruitcake, with a trace of coconut. A big, rich, generous style of sparkling shiraz with a touch of opulence, ripe flavours and very soft but present tannins. Sweetness is nicely balanced. A top example of the style. Huon Hooke

I love this wine. We've got history. I was working at Teusner when they released the first one (maybe 2009?), and we'd borrowed Dave Lehmann's disgorgement set-up and spent a long day drinking Coopers Green and getting the job done. I'd think the process is a little different now, but it remains a cracking sparkling shiraz. From its energetic purple spume to the pure-spiced, plummy, meaty, chocolatey … damn, it's good drinking. Built for bacon, they say on the website. They are wise. Try it with Christmas ham too, but you already know that. It's a ripper. 95PTS Dave Brookes for James Halliday