Bellebonne
The Australian sparkling that found its own voice
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When I first started learning about Australian sparkling, I assumed the best producers were all trying to perfect the traditional Champagne style.
Then I discovered Bellebonne.
What struck me wasn't that they were rejecting Champagne.
It was that they weren't trying to imitate it either.
They seemed comfortable asking a different question.
What does Tasmania taste like when it speaks for itself?
That question stayed with me.
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The more I learnt, the more I realised Bellebonne isn't built around making bigger wines or bolder wines.
It's built around expressing place.
The vineyards sit in the Pipers River region of Tasmania, where the cool climate allows the fruit to ripen slowly while holding onto beautiful natural acidity.
But plenty of sparkling wines come from cool climates.
What makes Bellebonne interesting to me is that every decision seems to begin with the vineyard rather than the recipe.
The wines don't feel as though they're trying to recreate somewhere else.
They feel completely at home where they are.
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I think that's why Bellebonne became the second wine I wanted to pour at Australian Prestige.
House of Arras gave Australian sparkling wine confidence.
Bellebonne gives it personality.
It reminds us that the greatest wines don't imitate.
They reveal where they come from.
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🥂 Something I'd tell you over a glass
One thing I've been noticing as I learn more about Australian sparkling is that every producer seems to answer a different question.
House of Arras asks,
"Can Australia make world-class sparkling wine?"
Bellebonne asks,
"What happens when Tasmania stops looking over its shoulder?"
I think that's why I wanted to pour them together.
They're not telling the same story.
They're continuing it.