Sidewood Vigneron's Release Isabella Rosé Sparkling Late Disgorged 2014

40% Chardonnay | 60% Pinot Noir

Stuart McCloskey, tasted 14 July 2026 "If the 2013 Chloe Cuvée showcases power and grandeur, the 2014 Isabella Rosé is its more graceful sibling. Don't mistake elegance for delicacy - This is every bit as concentrated, textural and captivating as the Chloe, simply expressed with greater finesse.  I will happily admit that sparkling Rosé is not normally a style I gravitate towards. Isabella completely changed my thinking. In truth, I enjoyed this every bit as much as the magnificent 2013 Chloe.

The bouquet is utterly captivating. The freshest raspberries imaginable burst from the glass, accompanied by chilled wild strawberries, redcurrants and delicate summer berries picked at the very height of ripeness. There is an almost cooling purity to the fruit, beautifully framed by subtle notes of rose petal, blood orange zest and a gentle mineral freshness. As the wine evolves in the glass, more than a decade resting on its lees begins to reveal itself through layers of warm brioche, toasted sourdough, roasted almonds, and the faintest whisper of crème pâtissière. Every aroma feels perfectly integrated, with no single element dominating the next.

The palate is sublime. The mousse is extraordinarily fine, creating a texture that is both silky and weightless, yet carries remarkable concentration. The red fruit glides effortlessly across the palate before giving way to delicate citrus, chalk and savoury autolytic complexity. There is a wonderful interplay between freshness and richness, between vibrant fruit and the quiet sophistication that only extended lees ageing can provide. The finish seems endless, echoing with pristine raspberry fruit, gentle spice and a lingering mineral precision that leaves you reaching instinctively for another sip.

What impresses me most is the restraint. This is not a sparkling Rosé chasing fashion or immediate appeal. It is a wine crafted with extraordinary patience and confidence - a producer willing to wait well over a decade before releasing it, believing that time would create something genuinely exceptional. That philosophy shines through.

For me, this is elite Australian winemaking and better than any House of Arras Rosé I have opened. It is a sparkling wine of breathtaking finesse, remarkable complexity, and effortless elegance - a wine that speaks not only of outstanding fruit, but of an enduring desire to craft one of Australia's truly great sparkling Rosés. It is, quite simply, magnificent. Serve in a Zalto Universal stem. Wonderful today, yet far from its final destination. Enjoy now or cellar for the next five to eight years and watch this beautiful wine unfold with even greater complexity and grace."