Plus Aussie wines with a taste of Italy
Australian winemakers are well known as some of the industry’s most resourceful experimenters. Now they are turning their attention to Italian grapes with unexpected success.
This new interest in Italian varieties comes after almost 200 years of focusing primarily on French grapes in Australia. Shiraz (30 per cent), cabernet sauvignon (18 per cent) and chardonnay (16 per cent) are still by far the most commonly planted, but as the climate warms and droughts become prolonged, particularly in Australian wine’s ‘engine room’ of the Murray-darling and Riverina regions, winemakers are turning to southern European grapes.
In the 2011 census, 916,000 Australians had Italian ancestry. With so many Italian Australians it is hardly surprising Italian grape varieties now feature strongly.
King Valley, north-east of Melbourne, is gaining a particular reputation, where families like the Pizzinis first grew tobacco, before turning to grapes. In the 1980s the Pizzinis were approached by local Brown Brothers winery to trial nebbiolo and sangiovese grapes which had recently arrived in the country.
Early examples of famous grapes nebbiolo (Barolo’s grape) and sangiovese (Chianti’s main grape) lacked fruit and depth compared to more mature shiraz and grenache. Now though, they are coming of age.
The frontrunner qualitywise amongst white grapes is fiano. Originally from Campania, inland from Naples, it has settled well in Clare Valley (Jeffrey Grosset), Riverland (Jade & Jasper) and Mclaren Vale (Coriole) in South Australia and Frankland River in Western Australia (Larry Cherubino). Another successful white Italian grape is vermentino, grown in Sardinia, Tuscany and Liguria.
Sangiovese was first introduced in the 1970s into Penfold’s nursery Kalimna vineyard. Early efforts tasted lean from overcropping, but now the best efforts are made by Walter Clappis in Mclaren Vale, Primo and Zerella in Mclaren Vale, home to many Italian growers.
Southern Italian grapes montepulciano, negroamaro, nero d’avola and aglianico show promise, but the grape really flourishing is the little knowns a gr anti no, a sturdy disease-resistant central Italian grape which produces austere tannic Montefalco wines in Umbria.
White Berton Winemaker’s Metal Label Reserve Vermentino
Light bodied, delicate vermentino with zippy, crisp palate and freshness from a Riverland and Riverina fruit blend, where the grape thrives. 2016 £10.50, Exel Wines, www.strictlywine.co.uk
Crittenden ‘Oggi’ 2015
Rollo Crittenden’s annual experiment; with skinfermented fiano dominant with arneis and vermentino benefiting from Mornington Peninsula’s sea breezes. Scented pears, textural, rich and honeyed. £13.97, Berry Bros, www.bbr.com
Larry Cherubino Laissez Faire Fiano 2016
The top choice from tasters, this fiano from the burgeoning Frankland River region in Western Australia is the best example: honeysuckle, quince, minerally with subtle oak. £18-£20, St Andrews Wine; www.strictlywine.co.uk
Red Heartland Sposa E Sposa 2014 Ben Glaetzer
A gutsy ripe take on Alto Adige’s lagrein and Piedmont’s dolcetto, never blended together back home. An affordable, easy drinking blackberry spiced Langhorne Creek red.
£13.50-£14.50, www.
greatwesternwine.co.uk;
www.luvians.com
Chalmers Heathcote Sagrantino 2012
Sagrantino is so successful on the iron-rich soils of Heathcote in Victoria. Lush, ripe with plums and damsons and better than anything in Umbria. £22, Fine Wine Musselburgh; www.greatwesternwine.co.uk
First Drop Minchia Montepulciano 2012
This unusual montepulciano from the Adelaide Hills has densely dark fruits and firm tannins; it tastes Italianate – serve with red meat. £19.99-£21, www. oldbutcherswinecellar.co.uk
The Hedonist Sangiovese 2015 Walter Clappis
This well priced attractive sangiovese from Mclaren Vale’s Willunga foothills has more succulent ripeness than in Chianti; typical cherry fruits, spice and rounded texture; large oak matured with six per cent cabernet for structure. £14.99-£16.99, www. rudewines.co.uk; www. luvians.com
Unico Zelo The River Nero d’avola 2017
Sicily’s plummy nero d’avola is at home in warm Riverland; this is a delicious, lush, savoury, easy-drinking unoaked example.
£19, www.corkingwines.co.uk
Torzi Vigna Cantina Negroamaro 2012
Dominic Torzi’s ancestors hail from southern Italy; he specialises in Puglia’s negroamaro in Barossa Valley. Perfumed, spicy, liquorice and lively tannins. This seemed to be most Italianate in style. ■
£11.97, www.bbr.com