Translation missing: en.Meet the Maker - Unico Zelo Tasting Sat 7th September 3pm-6pm + Primitivo + Frankland Estate: Meet the Maker - Unico Zelo Tasting Sat 7th September 3pm-6pm + Primitivo + Frankland Estate
Meet the Maker - Unico Zelo Tasting Saturday 7th September 3pm-6pm
This week, we'll be hosting Unico Zelo's Brendan as he pours his delicious wines for you. Some of you may know Brendan from his great Youtube Channel "Wine for the People" which has gained a lot of popularity recently, for good reason. These are the wines Brendan will be pouring:
Esoterico
Jade Jasper
Fresh A.F.
Truffle Hound
Jungle Jungle
Alluvium Fiano
Pipe Dream Nero d'Avola
Primitivo
This week, we're spreading some awareness of the great Primitivo wines that we stock as we're asked by customers every other day for some. Technically, DNA tracing has found that Primitivo is originally from Croatia; however, it has found its home off the Adriatic Coast on the eroded limestone plateaux of Puglia, southern Italy.
Primitivo is known for producing bold, yet smooth wines with notes of blueberry and blackberry, dark chocolate and even liquorice. They are always juicy without harsh tannins making these much easier to drink than most other bold reds.
I have highlighted a few of our Primitivo bottles below which we believe are all excellent and worth trying. For those that haven't had any Primitivo before, this is a great alternative to the classic Aussie Shiraz to mix things up a bit. Pick some of these up and drink them with a hearty pasta or some BBQ.Frankland Estate
Frankland Estate is one of Australia's great producers, now becoming synonymous with the Great Southern region and boasting one of the most impressive vineyards in the country. Frankland Estate is a second-generation winery run by brother and sister Hunter and Elizabeth Smith, with Elizabeth’s husband Brian Kent making the wine since 2010.
Frankland Estate have been farming organically in conversion since 2005 and certified since 2009. They believe that organic farming makes the vines more resilient and better equipped to handle the changing conditions year-on-year. The vines are also able to achieve a better balance of canopy and crop as well as between acid and sugar in the grapes, producing more balanced wines. The estate itself is located 330km south of Perth, 250km east of Margaret River and about 50km inland from the picturesque Great Southern coastline. As such, their flagship vineyard is aptly named "Isolation Ridge" as it is one of the most isolated vineyards in the world. The key soil profile of this undulating site is what they call “coffee rock” - ironstone gravel over a clay subsoil. These fragile, fairly infertile soils require a lot of care, and in return produces wines that bear a distinctly savoury, ferrous stamp that marries beautifully with pristine fruit flavours and natural acidity. The cooling influence of the Southern Ocean and the cool nights due to its continental climate help to preserve natural acidity and energy in the wine.
We recently stocked up on a lot of the Frankland Estate range after tasting through an extensive line up and deciding to buy almost everything we tasted. We have a range of their Rieslings: the '23 'Estate Riesling' and 'Alter Weg Riesling' as well as the '22 'Isolation Ridge Riesling'. These Rieslings are what turned me into a Great Southern Riesling advocate. From the reds, we have the '19 'Rocky Gully Cabernets', '22 'Estate Cabernet Franc' and '22 'Isolation Ridge Syrah'. These are all incredible and distinctive wines that offer great value for money as they haven't been arrogant enough to bump up their prices just yet despite definitely having the quality to justify it. Pick some of these up before they become more expensive in the next couple of years!