This Champagne is composed of three grape varieties, Pinot Noir for backbone, character and strength, Chardonnay for finesse, lightness and elegance and Pinot Meunier for roundness and fruitiness.

Pale yellow in colour, with green edges, the wine has fine bubbles and persistent mousse. Fresh lime blossom, apple and fennel aromas abound with some hints of nut and toast in background. A bright palate includes primary fruit flavours of pears and Fuji apples, nectarine and ripe meyer lemons. Soft acidity, gentle creamy texture and a very long finish are features of this wine.

Champagne Duperrey has been the runaway success of the year with its elegance and complexity all wrapped up with a price tag that belies belief. Here is the more stately, Vintage Brut. Hand selected from the classic Champagne town of Reims, Champagne Duperrey Vintage Brut speaks to the terroir magnificently. On the nose this beautiful sparkling is delicate with vibrant citrus notes with a subtle touch of brioche and almond. Delicate notes of dried fruits can also be detected. Once on the palate, this Champagne truly sings with deep, robust, yet refined flavours of wild peach, pear and citrus. A Champagne that is full of charm and character.

Ageing for a minimum of 24 months on lees adds complexity to the fresh citrus, red apple and spring blossom aromas. The palate is crisp with a lingering, mouth-watering finish. A persistent fine bead and creamy mousse gives extra lift to these delicious aromas and flavours. Winemaking: Different parcels of fruit are all hand-picked and whole bunch pressed separately into tank for settling. Fermentation of these small batches lasts around 12 days and in 2012 only some parcels of wine were putthrough malo-lactic ferment to soften the acidity and add complexity. Others retained the full acidity to add tension and structure in the final blend. Food Match: Shellfish hors d-oeuvres

Golden in colour, the Charles Orban Brut Blanc De Noirs NV Champagne has a very fresh nose with strong plum and blackberry aromas. It's powerful on the palate, with wild berry aromas enhanced by hints of cinnamon.

Established in 1836, Madame Pommery is credited with creating the first vintage brut style of Champagne in 1874, at a time when most champagnes were excessively sweetened with sugar. This revolutionary dry style set the benchmark for the rest of Champagne and it is in this spirit that the style of Pommery endures; with each cuvée displaying sublime elegance, finesse and freshness. Pommery is one of the few Champagne Houses that produces their large formats in the actual bottle in order to allow for optimal ageing.

Tasmania is producing world-class sparklings and this is one of the very best examples. Subtle complex and elegant it shows fine intense fruit with classic toasty creamy yeast character.

"Fresh, clean, vibrant iced pastry aroma, lovely and chard-ish. Similarly clean and fresh in the mouth, with evident dosage, but also a clean finish, soft and equable. A very easy drinking wine and well turned-out." 92 points Huon Hooke