Winespeak formally admits a new acronym to its vocabulary: LDD. LDD? A chauffeur-driven car ordered after a wine-tasting? No, ‘Late Disgorgement’ D. D? Yalumba ‘D’, the excellent and developing style of methode champenoise, originally conceived inter-continentally by Yalumba and the Champagne House of Deutz, after whom it may or may not have acquired its name, or initial. In a wonderfully eccentric, quirky gesture, Yalumba has simultaneously re-released the first three ‘D’s’ as ‘LDD’s’, from the 1984, ’85 and ’86 vintages. There is still some ’87 floating around the marketplace and the ’88 is the new release, so for a very affordable $100 exactly, a group of people can line up the whole lot. The ‘LDD’s’ cost just $26 each, the standard ‘D’s’, having two initials less, only $21. An unprecedented opportunity to study first-hand the benefits of extended tirage maturation on five vintages of a top Australian sparkling wine, all disgorged relatively recently, removing the variable of extended bottle maturation. Geoff Linton, Yalumba’s maker of wines sparkling, makes the point that maturation before and after disgorgement are two entirely different things. “The ’84 ‘LDD’ is much more complex and together than the 84’s which have been on cork since the original expedition and now showing their age.” Before examining the wines, what are Yalumba aiming for with the ‘D’ style? “We want to impart the characters we like in top Champagne”, begins Linton, “but we’re not trying to duplicate it. We are pursuing elegance and complexity and aren’t fruit-driven. We’re after indefinable fruit, biscuity yeast; flavours from everywhere. You don’t have to put your finger on where they come from.” The ‘D’ style is essentially a rich, mouthfilling wine, given depth and complexity since the initial 1984 vintage with a 100% malo-lactic fermentation, which Geoff Linton finds gives more concentration of ripeness and flavour in the mouth. Of course Yalumba have had much to learn, despite Deutz’s early involvement. Top wines, no matter what the preparation, are not created overnight. The three major areas of development have been in the vineyard, the timing of harvest and in the cellar. Linton explains: “Our vines are now more mature, and we’ve researched the relationship between leaf area and fruit weight, plus that involving the weight of fruit produced per vine.” Experience has taught Yalumba to harvest its pinot noir later, to develop more flavour and to avoid the greenish characters more pronounced when young but still marginally noticeable in the first two ‘D’s’, and to pick chardonnay earlier to avoid excessive richness. Linton’s team has fine-tuned its refrigerated whole bunch pressing and juice handling techniques. When they began in 1984 these were revolutionary ideas, now they’re standard. 1984 was the first ‘D’. The 1984 ‘LDD’, has been on tirage for 6 years and 5 months, before being liqueured to 10 g/l sugar. It is a lovely, fragrant, soft wine with charming complexity and creamy yeast and malo-lactic flavours. Linton likes the biscuity yeast and the fact it’s neither honeyed nor madeirised, a snapshot back into the past. There’s a hint of aldehyde, and it’s a beautifully drinking wine; a steal for $26. The 1985 wine was on tirage for 5 years and 10 months, then liqueured to 8 g/l sugar. It’s more fruity, especially with pinot, but lacks the breeding and complexity of the previous vintage. The wine is quite robust and toasty, but there is a faint note of burned caramel, the aldehydes are a shade excessive and the palate a little short. An aristocratic wine, the 1986 ‘LDD’ is the driest, on tirage for 4 years and 9 months and then liqueured to only 6 g/l sugar. It needs less sugar because the fruit is so opulent and mouthfilling, augmented with complex malo-lactic and yeasty characters. Its very generous and opens up beautifully with a nose that is pungent and punchy and an alluring, crackly, creamy palate. 1986 was the first year Linton’s team didn’t have to struggle with the malolactic, for the lower pH’s of previous years had made it difficult to complete. The resulting flavours are a little to pronounced for a classic international stye, but who cares? It’s a great drink. Since the 1986 vintage the ‘D’s’ have been much more complex when young. The two younger vintages represent steps along the trail. I love the classic features of the 1987, with its pungency, complexity and richness. It is destined for great things when its re-release comes around. A big, powerful wine still to come together, the 1988 just needs time on cork, but will always have more delivery than delicacy. It’s a wine of components – fragrant fruit and yeast, malolactic richness, a generous palate and big acids, but should improve quickly with time on cork. Quantities of the ‘LDD’s’ are naturally limited, but they are available nationally, sold in 6-bottle cases. I strongly recommend you try them all together.
