CELLAR CHOICE
A SELECTION OF STARS These new wines, from Champagne to New Zealand, are slated to please your dinner guests.
CLOUDY BAY TE KOKO 2019
TELMONT BRUT RESERVE NV CHAMPAGNE
After two years of bated breaths, Te Koko is back. First introduced in 1996, the wine is only crafted in exceptional years, and worth every drop of patience. Textural and vivid, this is an elevated sauvignon blanc. The winemaking differed slightly from the usual Marlborough recipe of cooler stainless-steel fermentation. Te koko is a product of warmer oakbarrel ferments to preserve citrus fruit notes, aged on lees and finished in old oak barrels. Also, the yields were kept low, and more attention is given to the terroir expression. A blend of select six old vineyards in Marlborough located on free draining gravelly soils, Te Koko 2019 is another age-worthy wine reminiscent of Sancerre in its citrus and apple notes, oak spice, and a stellar acid profile. $79, Moomba Wines
Telmont is making headlines for attracting investment and support from actor Leonardo di Caprio. This environmentally conscious and sustainable grower Champagne house is blazing the trail with a multi-prong approach to lowering their environmental impact. Almost three-quarters of the estate’s vineyards are certified organic with more on the way. The house also implemented a zero-air transport policy and did away with all packaging. However, it’s the label that sets the house apart the most. Unlike most cryptic champagne labels, Telmont reveals all on the front side, including the dosage, composition, cuvée year and varietal percentages. The Brut Reserve is a blend of pinot noir, chardonnay, and pinot meunier in equal parts and shows ripe fruit, brioche, and savoury notes. $80, Bottles and Bottles
LADY GAGA DOM PERIGNON Dom Perignon’s heritage and Lady Gaga’s explosive creativity come together in two limited edition champagnes: Dom Perignon Vintage 2010 and Rosé 2006. The collaboration took many creative guises across the world, including customised bottle labels and an abstract sculpture to veil the bottle designed by Lady Gaga and creative director Nicola Formichetti. The
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creative energies also spilled into the digital world with 100 NFTs which were sold out the moment they were released. Vintage 2010 opens to autolytic notes, zesty citrus, and bracing acidity. Rosé 2006 charms with red fruit notes, freshness, and a long finish marked with salinity. $280 (Dom Perignon Vintage 2010) and $420 (Dom Perignon Rosé 2006), Crystal Wines
