Australian Gourmet Traveller - (05)May 2019 (1)

inHeathcote,centralVictoria,establishedinthelate

2000s.Aswellasa savoury,cellarworthyreservered,

theyalsousethegrapetomakea verypale,dry,

super-refreshingrosé– labelledrosato,ofcourse,

asa nodtothegrape’sItalianorigins.

WhenI speaktoKimChalmersinearlyMarch

she’sinthemiddleofharvest,andgivesmea stark

illustrationofjusthowdifferentaglianicois.

“MostoftheotherredvarietiesinHeathcote

• theshiraz,thecabernet– havealreadybeenpicked,”
  shesays.“We’repickingtheaglianicoforrosétoday.
  Eveninour(muchwarmer)Milduravineyard,where
  wehadtwobigheatwavesoversummer,wehaveonly
  justpickedtheaglianicograpesforredwine.”
  Chalmersadmitsthataglianicois notalwaysthe
  easiestwinetosell,thankstoitsbold,grippytannins.
  Herrosatodoesverywellbecauseofthepopularityof
  thepale,drystyle,buthersavouryreserveredis slower
  tomove.Andshe’sheardofat leastonegrowerwho
  haspulledtheiraglianicovinesoutbecauseoflackof
  commercialinterest.Butsheis determinedtopersist.
  “Asthishotvintagehasshown,aglianicois the
  numberoneredclimate-changevariety,”shesays.
  “Itproduceswineswithfreshnessandageability.”
  TheChalmersalsosellfruittoothermakerswho
  areexcitedaboutthegrapeandcanseeitspotential.
  RayNadesonat LethbridgeinGeelong,forexample,
  fermentsandageshisaglianicoinamphorafor
  11 monthstoproducea winequitedifferentinstyle
  toanymentionedabove:moreundergrowthy,dried-
  herbcharactersandfine,long,powderytannins.
  They’reallfabulousexpressionsofaglianicothat
  wouldmaketheMastroberardinoancestorsproud.●

LarrikinGinSunburnt

CountryBushTucker

Gin,Ballarat,$100

FabulousnewAustralian

nativebotanical-heavy

ginwithheapsofflavour,

pumpedupbya robustABV

(asmidgeover 50 percent).

I lovethesavouryquality

ofit:tryit in a DirtyMartini.

larrikingin.com.au

2017 TasmanianOrganic

WinesBye’sPinotNoir,

Tasmania,$34.50

Thiswine,froma tiny

vineyardsouth-westof

Launceston,is beautifully

earthy,withautumnal

undergrowtharomatics,

etherealred-berryfruit,

andlongsinewytannins.

tasorganicwines.com.au

2016 CobawRidge

Chardonnay,Macedon

Ranges,$55

Buckingthemodern

trendforlean,minerally

chardonnay,thisintense,

flavourfulexpressionof

thegrapedeliversrich

whitenectarinefruitand

fine,nuttycomplexity.

cobawridge.com.au

2017 GDVajraDolcetto

d’Alba,Piedmont,$39

Thisgorgeousunoaked

dolcettois bottledearly

tocaptureallthegrape’s

trademarksourcherry

fruitandlipsmacking

freshness.Drinkwith

cotechinoandmustard

fruits.Importedby

cellarhand.com.au

2018 Smallfry

StellaLuna,Barossa

Valley,$28

A blendofcinsaultand

shiraz,andcontaining

a refreshinglylow

12 percentalcohol,this

medium-bodied,supple

andspicyredis best

drunkslightlychilled.

smallfrywines.com.au

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Drinks

GOURMET TRAVELLER 45

PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS JANSEN (TOP DROPS: COBAW RIDGE, LARRIKIN GIN & TASMANIAN ORGANIC WINES) & GETTY IMAGES (AMALFI COAST).