Zonte’s Footstep Cuvée Chocolate Mousseux Shiraz Sparkling

The name for this cracking sparkling Shiraz seems so obvious that it is amazing no one has used it before. The wine spent a year maturing in a mix of French and American oak. The label has a wonderful quote from Rodney Dangerfield (if you are too young, google the man), but no spoilers here. Buy a bottle. The wine, wonderfully exuberant, is full of chocolate and mocha notes, spices, herbs and even a hint of undergrowth. There is some sweetness here, but it is so well balanced that it is hardly evident. A juicy style with excellent length, this is a joy to drink. Love it. Now for as long as you want, but good luck keeping your hands off it for long. Score – 93. (Ken Gargett, winepilot.com, May 2024)