Racegoers at this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival will be among the first to enjoy an array of new wines, with Pierlot by Seppelt available at all Victoria Racing Club bars and restaurants.

Why on earth would a French winemaker trained at the exclusive champagne house of Pommery be honoured with a special release of Australia bubbles bearing his name?

A new set of sparkling wines released by Seppelt pays tribute to Charles Pierlot.

He was the man brought to Australia in the late 1880s to make “champagne” at Great Western in Victoria.

Pierlot completed his assignment magnificently, introducing méthode champenoise techniques and igniting a sparkling wine industry Down Under.

In 1890 Pierlot laid down 2,000 bottles of sparkling wine and the following year made his first trip to Europe to promote Australian wine and explore export opportunities.

Australia’s reputation for making bubbles soared after Pierlot’s Great Western sparkling won a gold medal at the 1900 Paris exhibition.

This was remarkable considering Australia didn’t even exist as a nation. It would be another year before the six British colonies would come together to form the Commonwealth of Australia.

Seppelt winemaker Clare Dry, a rising star in the Australian wine scene, has made a brut cuvee and brut rose bearing the name Pierlot by Seppelt.

Each is available for $30 from Dan Murphy’s and at select BWS stores nationwide.

She views these wines as tribute wines to “honour our past and help celebrate the future”.

Quaffers will find these are elegant sparklers with considerable length.

“These wines are an elegant tribute to our sparkling roots and pair perfectly with food, friends and celebration,” Dry said.

Consisting of classic sparkling varietals - pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier - the new releases are made from quality fruit from Victoria’s famed cool-climate Henty region.

“The majority of grapes for this range are sourced from our Drumborg Vineyard – a special site first planted in 1964, with the primary aim to produce world-class sparkling wines.”

Pierlot Brut Rose is an attractive wine with aromas of strawberries and freshly cut apples, toasted brioche and a hint of cordite minerality. On the palate find more strawberries and apples and a creamy lees texture.

“The use of multiple vintages to create out base wine lends complexity and depth,’’ said Dry.

Pierlot Brut Cuvée demonstrating lemon curd, crisp green apple and freshly baked brioche notes and the Brut Rosé demonstrating delicate strawberry and crisp red apple notes with creamy lees texture.

Dry said she enjoyed seeing the bottles emblazoned with Charles Pierlot’s name  – “a gentleman who was instrumental in establishing Seppelt’s reputation for crafting quality méthode traditionnelle wines.”

Racegoers at this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival will be among the first to enjoy the wines, with Pierlot by Seppelt available at all Victoria Racing Club bars and restaurants. A Pierlot by Seppelt bar will be set up in The Park precinct at Flemington racecourse from October 29 to November 5.

Seppelt is an impressive company with a range of quality wines across many varieties.

A bright new release is Seppelt 2012 Drumborg Vineyard Pinot Noir ($45) with enticing red fruit and bramble fragrances. Dry’s tasting notes also speak of “wet cement and a hint of gun flint”.

It is a complex and textural style with flavours of cherries and red currants.

There are two attractive new whites also available.

Seppelt 2021 Drumborg Vineyard Riesling ($40) has a nose of citrus blossoms, lemon zest and exotic spice. On the palate find intense flavours of lemon peel and poached pear with a hint of mineral acid.

Seppelt 2021 Drumborg Vintage Chardonnay ($40) is a pale straw colour with green hues. On the nose there is lemon zest and nectarine and a flinty minerality. It’s juicy and round on the palate with layers or white peach, lemon citrus and nougat and savoury cashews.

Dry said the vine was from a Burgundy clone. “Textural, fine-grained phenolics add extra depth and persistence,’’ she said.

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