Idée Fixe Premier Brut Makes a Debut in Matthew Jukes’ 100 Best Australian Wines 2022/23

Commenting on the distinctly Southern Margaret River influence and quartz-littered vineyard, Jukes remarked, “Idée Fixe is proving to be more than just an obsession. It has subtly migrated into being a delicious infatuation.”

Read the full review below

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2019 Idée Fixe, Premier Brut Blanc de Blancs, Margaret River

I loved Vasse Felix owner Paul Holmes à Court’s description of where the grapes come from, in Margaret River, that make this exceptional wine. He said, “Supersouth, past Stellabella, you drop off ironstone ridge onto a faultline of quartz and limestone, far, far south”. These directions alone give me the shivers and, as I reach for a scarf while I type these words, it was fascinating to learn that Vasse Felix has made traditional method sparkling since the mid-eighties, before my 100 Best alumni Jansz and Arras kicked off. In fact, Paul bought a second winery, ‘down south’, gutted it and has set it up for fizz-production. Having a dedicated winery on site and no fewer than nine clones from which to fashion their wines, Paul is very serious about this venture’s future. If this 2019 vintage is anything to go by then I cannot wait to see what happens next. Before too long, a clonal series, a prestige cuvée and a rosé, as well as this wine, will form a 5000 dozen portfolio. This wine was disgorged in March 2021 and while it is discreetly toasty, the mineral soils keep it unnervingly firm and linear. The flavour directly informs its setting – a breakpoint between coastal ozone freshness balanced with a touch of sunny autolysis, and I am perfectly serious when I say it reminds me of Paul Goerg’s wine from Vertus. There have been 35 years of sparkling winemaking at Vasse Felix, but the new site, a new winemaker, Mick Langridge, and perfectly positioned vineyards mean the future is very bright indeed. How strange to find a tiny piece of the Côte des Blancs in WA. Idée Fixe is proving to be more than just an obsession. It has subtly migrated into being a delicious infatuation.

The full report is available on matthewjukes.com