2019 Nebbiolo

Description

Grape variety

Nebbiolo 100%, Ballandean Estate fruit

Wine analysis

• Colour—Pale ruby with orange hues
• Nose—Cherry, tar and roses
• Palate—Medium-bodied with red fruits, strong tannins, high acidity and earthy tones
• Alc/Vol—12%
• Cellaring potential—Drink now to 5 years
• Winemaker—Dylan Rhymer
• Viticulturist—Angelo Puglisi

Winemaking

Fruit picked March 2019 at optimal ripeness to balance fruit flavours with tannin ripeness and acidity. Crushed and destemmed, where it cold soaked for a period determined by regular juice tastings. Medium length fermentation then racked to reserve tight grain French oak barrels of one to six years of age. The wine was aged for 12–14 months before minimal filtration and bottling.

Drink with …

Nebbiolo’s tannins, acidity and savoury flavour profile make it a friendly wine to serve with Italian foods such as slow braises, antipasto, pasta and pizza. Truffles and mushrooms reflect the earthy and savoury flavours of the wine. Try a spinach linguine with white truffle shavings, veal osso bucco alla Milanese, lamb shanks, pasta a Bolognese or full-flavoured lasagne.

Viticulture

Nebbiolo is incredibly sensitive to terroir—it needs great drainage and a long, bright growing season. Ballandean Estate’s high altitude, cool climate and granite traprock soils on Bellevue’s slopes have seen the vines mature a low yield initially. Angelo Puglisi overcame this by using a different pruning approach that produces more fruit bunches. The fruit is the last to be harvested, as it matures slowly with the cool nights at the end of growing season.