Translation missing: en.Great Value Italian Wines + Patrick Underwood Release: Great Value Italian Wines + Patrick Underwood Release
Great Value Italian Wines
This week, we wanted to get the word out on our well-priced Italian range. Those who are acquainted with the wines of Italy will know just how much value there is to be found despite being recognised as one of the best wine-producing countries in the world. Both of the Di Giovanna wines below are some of the best value in our store at the moment. We’ve already sold most of the Nerello Mascalese but have some of the tasty Grillo left. The Ghiga Enrico Dolcetto is the perfect mid-week pizza wine - tasty, easy to drink and doesn’t break the bank. The Accornero is an absolute steal for a Barbera with 5 years of age on it. The Fattoria di Magliano is also a bargain for Sangiovese with 5 years of age. This is a staple of our Tuscan section and we’ve just restocked it so jump right in and pick up some incredible Italian wines for incredible prices!Patrick Underwood
Patrick Underwood entered the world of wine back in 2011 after working behind a bar in Castlemaine and being exposed to certain people that nurtured this early interest. Patrick has since taken the journey into his own hands working at City Wine Shop and working vintages at Bannockburn and Gembrook Hill in 2013 and 2014, respectively. Patrick travelled extensively throughout Chianti, Mosel, Burgundy and Northern Rhone and worked 3 consecutive vintages for Olek Bondonio in Barbaresco. Patrick’s most well-known label is the Little Reddie range (the labels with the fish in the Sonic Youth album cover) which are a staple of our store; however, this release is all about his top-of-the-line Chardonnay from his self-titled line.
Pat works with grape-growers from the regions of Central Victoria from individual sites and has done so for many years now, getting to learn the subtleties of each site, how to handle the grapes and make the best wines possible from them.
“Vintage and vinification methods are the prisms through which the picture of a particular variety, grown a particular way, in a particular place can be seen.”
We can see this in these 2 fantastic new single site Chardonnays. The first of these 2 is the ‘22 ‘Dash Farms’ Chardonnay, a fantastic site that Joshua Cooper uses too. The rows picked from this site sit 477m above sea level on granite-derived Colluvium. This wine spends 12 months in lightly seasoned Slovenian demi-muids as well as some older French puncheons and barriques and then a further 8 months in stainless steel in contact with the lees. The ‘21 ‘Malsmbury’ Chardonnay comes from 5 and a half dry-grown rows between Malmsbury and Taradale townships 450m above sea level on lava flows of basalt, scoria intermingled with quartz. Wild fermentation occurs in 1 new demi-muid and a 5 year-old puncheon for 14 months, then transferred to stainless steel for another 12 months to stabilise. This is a wine that Pat describes as “true gastronomic style with breadth, layers, and length that is deserving of generous cooking.” These are some impressive expressions of Chardonnay from one the store’s favourite Aussie winemakers. If you’ve enjoyed the Little Reddie wines or just simply love good Chardonnay, pick these up!