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Good Food puts uncommon and revered wines to the sensation trial during the Coravin World Wine Tour.
Tasting a $3800 vessel of champagne was not connected my bingo paper for 2024. Nor is it for astir radical during the outgo of surviving crisis, erstwhile $3800 hardly covers 3 weeks of rent. But work has called, and I’m tasked with investigating whether it’s worthy dropping $320 connected a discounted solid of fancy vino during the inaugural Coravin Wine World Tour.
For the archetypal clip this May, hatted restaurants Atria (Melbourne) and Bentley Restaurant & Bar (Sydney) are utilizing the Coravin vino preservation system to determination a peculiarly peculiar (and expensive) lineup of wines by the solid astatine fractional of the expected price.
Coravin is simply a popular preservation and pouring device that extracts vino from the vessel without compromising sensation oregon pressure. In different words, it ensures your champagne stays bubbly and caller erstwhile you privation a solid but don’t privation to decorativeness the full vessel – dissimilar putting a metallic spoon into the cervix of the vessel (yep, that’s a myth).
For well-off vino lovers who imagination of drinking prestigious blanc de blanc champagne from century-old vineyards successful the Côte des Blancs successful France, oregon experiencing the silky tannins of a cabernet sauvignon blend from California’s Santa Ynez Valley, the Coravin circuit whitethorn look similar a bully deal.
A vessel of 2013 Salon “Cuvee S” blanc de blanc, considered 1 of the finest and rarest of its kind, retails for $3800. That becomes $320 for a modular glass, for example.
But what truly makes a vino that expensive, and could it ever beryllium worthy that overmuch coin?
Sommelier, writer and vino advisor Samantha Payne compares luxury wines to decorator handbags, which made planetary headlines successful March erstwhile manufacturers accrued their prices to support the quality of exclusivity.
“[Luxury wine] is worthy what idiosyncratic is going to walk connected it, and that’s defined by a batch of factors, and sometimes not each of them person to bash with quality,” says Payne.
Atria caput sommelier Sean Lam says the terms tag tin subordinate to the prime of the fruit, the winemaking decisions, oregon the terroir [where the grapes are grown]. But “inevitably, of course, accrued request besides people drives the terms up”.
High media ratings assistance with that: successful the lawsuit of the Cuvee S, a “magnificent” 99-point people from vino work Vinous helped propel it to trophy status.
Bentley co-owner and caput sommelier Nick Hildebrandt says the mean diner tin usually admit the quality successful quality.
“In a batch of wine, determination are precise subtle differences. However, successful the apical wines, the prime mostly shines through,” helium says.
Payne tells maine that being capable to place prime depends connected however overmuch vino you’ve experienced. I’ve smashed done my just share, truthful possibly I’m much qualified than I thought. But what americium I tasting for?
There are 2 cardinal factors, Payne explains: flavour and texture.
“The consciousness of it is what differentiates vino from Ribena oregon grape juice,” she says. “The much expensive, the much sensation, texture and involvement and layers you’ll get retired of it. In cheaper wines, the acidity tends to beryllium precise sharp.”
At Bentley, the Cuvee S is poured with reverence. It starts airy and crisp and mildly develops a warm, astir citrusy flavour. It takes effort to sip dilatory – without the harsh bubbles and adust acidity I’m utilized to successful sparkling wines, I could person easy downed the glass. Dangerous for a vino truthful expensive.
The 2021 Bass Phillip “Premium” Chardonnay follows ($125 RRP for a bottle; $48 for 120ml). Pale yellowish with a susurration of oaky butteriness that I precise overmuch enjoy, it makes maine reconsider my disdain for chardonnay – is this what it was expected to sensation similar this full time?
Finally, the 2021 Bass Phillip “Premium” Pinot Noir ($300 RRP for a bottle; $80 for 120ml), which is described arsenic “brooding and textural”. It’s a cosy wintertime nighttime successful a glass: velvety, a small spicy and large with my duck soup.
Each is simply a genuine joy, showcasing however subtle and nuanced flavours tin make successful wines of this calibre. But would I urge shelling retired for them? As Payne says – it depends.
For cashed-up vino aficionados, those who tin swirl a solid of reddish into a firestorm, confidently recognise notes of freshly baked brioche, achromatic linen oregon crushed oyster shells successful their champagne, oregon callback vintage variations from memory, it could marque for a precise memorable evening.
For the remainder of us? Well, I’ll beryllium sticking to my section vino shop, wherever I mightiness splash retired connected a $40 vessel for a peculiar occasion.
The Coravin World Wine Tour is disposable astatine Atria astatine The Ritz-Carlton successful Melbourne and Bentley Restaurant and Bar astatine Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel successful Sydney during May.
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