Crafted as a study in elegance and refinement, the Coates Blanc de Blancs 2018 starts with hand-picked Adelaide Hills Chardonnay that is natural yeast fermented in seasoned French oak barrels and held on full yeast and malo lees for 18 months. Method Traditionelle fermentation follows with four years lees ageing in bottle. Disgorged in  December 2023 with zero dosage, no filtration and no additives apart from minimal SO_2.

_{Reviews (2016)}

Score 93 James Suckling

This has aromas of baked apples, mango crumble, buttercream, hazelnuts and praline. Fine, soft bubbles. Round and creamy, with rich pastry and buttery notes. Lengthy and complex. Zero dosage. Disgorged October 2020. Drink now

Score 93 Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (Erin Larkin)

Coates's 2016 The Blanc de Blancs is a serious attempt at sparkling, with the base wine (Chardonnay) fermented and aged 18 months in French oak, then three years sur lie, and bottling sans dosage. The result is pretty darn convincing, with ripe apple and pear fruit, buttered-biscuit nuances and a long, citrusy finish. It's medium-bodied, with impressive roundness and concentration on the palate, a fine mousse, and the balance to serve as an apéritif or to partner with food. Impressive!

Score 96 James Halliday Wine Companion (Ned Goodwin MW)

Wild-yeast fermentation in older French oak. Minimal SO2. A further 17 months in oak on full yeast and malolactic lees, followed by 38 months in bottle. Zero dosage. No additions of any kind: acid, enzymatic or otherwise. A pleasure bomb that shifts the paradigm, for the better. Made akin to a great grower champagne. The soft, natural acidity, mitigated with the crescendo of oak and lees. Palate-staining, every crevice of the mouth filled with leesy nourishment. The underlying current is forceful, creamy and endless. A tour de force of Australian fizz.