weekend notes
What happens when you give a bottle of three of the regionâs stand-out wines to a casual appreciator? Lauren Mitchell, co-author of Mixed Cases: Stories of the Bendigo Winegrowers, shares her thoughts on a welcome trio. FRIDAY NIGHT - SANDHURST RIDGE 2016 NEBBIOLO
SATURDAY NIGHT - MANDURANG VALLEY 2021 SAUVIGNON BLANC
SUNDAY NIGHT - LADYS PASS 2017 SHIRAZ
Oh, to go back to 2016⌠when we were innocent of so much. When Megs and Harry started dating, Donald Trump was a mere candidate, and closer to home, brothers Paul and George Greblo were busy bottling a stellar Nebbiolo.
Itâs a crime not to share a bottle of wine, really. Especially when it comes infused with the warm hospitality of the Vine family, of Mandurang Valley Wines, whoâve been welcoming guests to their home cellar door for decades.
Fast forward six years and said wine is a welcome distraction from a world off the rails. Reminding us of the importance of logging off, shutting down and living in the moment with a glass of something wonderful.
So, before opening the 2021 Sauvignon Blanc, a quick text to a dry white wineloving friend results in a swift knock on the front door and two glasses taken from the cupboard.
The Munari label initiated a lively after-dinner discussion over the name of its shiraz. A quick Google revealed Ladys Pass is located at the base of the Mount Ida foothills, near Heathcote. As well as being home to the Munari vineyard and cellar door, Itâs also the site of an Astronomical Society of Victoria observatory. Heavens, thatâs two great reasons to pencil in a visit.
Nebbiolo grapes originated in northern Italy, and even today, are rarely grown outside the region. Central Victoria, however, happens to have enough sunshine for the vines to flourish. The Greblosâ Italian heritage no doubt also plays a part in the varietyâs local success. The pale, garnet colour defies big flavours of cherry, coffee and star anise. Here, the grapeâs famed grippy tannins have mellowed over time, rendering a soft and warming wine to enjoy with a hearty meal; ideal for the cooler autumn evenings ahead. www.sandhurstridge.com.au
74
âCrisp, dry and refreshing. Citrusy. A lovely warm weather wine,â says my friend, who would know; âIâve drunk the top shelf, Iâve drunk the bottom shelf, and thatâs a wine worth having.â Suffice to say, she stayed to enjoy the bottle, while an impromptu green chicken curry simmered on the stovetop. The wine promises âlifted herbaceous notes of cut grass and tomato bush, with hints of feijoa and pineappleâ. Plus a âtightly-structured palate with crisp acidity supported by flavours of passionfruit and limeâ. www.manduragevalleywines.com.au
The flagship wine of the Munari family encompasses everything we love about Heathcote wine, being itâs fruit-driven, well-structured and undeniably elegant. Here weâre promised an âeasy-drinking wine of great value, for casual drinkers through to seasoned veteransâ. In other words, no matter if the subtleties of bright fruits and bramble, coffee and cocoa, and a savoury cedar edge surpass, this is one smooth and satisfying shiraz to keep on hand for all occasions; autumn stargazing around the chimenea being one of them. www.munariwines.com
