Must-try niche wines and the must-know producers behind them.
Having an old favourite is fine, but nothing tugs at the heartstrings like a new fling, especially when it comes to wine. So, park your go-to for just a sec, because there’s somebody (well, five somebodies, actually) we think you should meet. These winemakers are some of the best in the biz, and we reckon you’ll fall head over heels in love with their unique wines.
Each one does things a little differently, but where they converge is in the acclaim they receive from in-the-know wine buffs Australia-wide. These are the niche labels that belong on your radar (and in your glass). Read on to meet the folks behind some of the most beguiling drops we’ve tasted lately.
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Native & Ancient Pet Nat Pinot X Syrah
Meet the maker: Josh Hammond
Inspiration is often found in the strangest of places, and in the case of Isabel Estate’s Native & Ancient range, the old adage rings true. “I was living in London and decided to set up an urban winery,” explains head winemaker Josh Hammond. “We had a 17-by-6-metre site under a railway overpass in East London, bringing grapes in from Europe and making natural wines there.” Thus Hammond’s passion for minimal intervention wine was seeded.
Blossoming at his new digs at Marlborough’s Isabel Estate, Native & Ancient is like natural wine for grown-ups. It’s got funk, and it’s got charm. What’s missing are those not-so-charming notes we often find in natural wines. “It’s really about taking that hands-off approach to the winemaking,” says Hammond. “Maybe calling them natural wines is problematic in itself. We want these wines to stand alone in a line-up. They are made by winemakers, not hipsters!”
A sip of his Pet Nat Pinot X Syrah will attest to that. Light, pinkish, and fabulously fizzy, this wine is made with park hangs and golden hour sunsets in mind. Exploding with flavours of red fruit, fairy floss, and sherbet fizz, this wine is making a play for our ultimate summer sip. Mix it into a spritz with amaro and ice, or serve it cold.
Shingleback Red Knot Shiraz
Meet the maker: John Davey
According to winemaker John Davey, there are two ways a wine comes into being at his McLaren Vale winery, Shingleback. The first way – identifying a gap in the market and filling it – is just smart business. But the second, “letting my professional curiosity have a crack”, is precisely the kind of shoot-from-hip intuition that led Davey to wine in the first place.
“I was 25 years old, sitting on the balcony of a run-down hotel in Athens with a group of North Americans I was travelling with,” says Davey. “We were drinking cheap Greek white wine and discussing what we were going to do when we were back in the ‘real world’. When my turn came, I surprised myself by announcing to the group that I was going to be a winemaker.” The next day he applied at Roseworthy Agricultural College to study a Bachelor of Applied Science in Oenology.
Today, his minimalist approach yields some of Australia’s best value wines, none more revered than the cult-status Red Knot Shiraz. Open fermented in small batches, this wine is a lock for shiraz lovers with all that signature dark fruit flavour and spice for days. Skip the cellar, order a pizza, and put the glasses out – Red Knot is raring to go right away.
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Robert Oatley Signature Series G-20 Grenache 2020
Meet the maker: Larry Cherubino
The brief for winemakers at Robert Oatley is simple: “make a darned good drink”. That directive came from Bob himself, whose legacy is alive and thriving under the custodianship of Robert Oatley Vineyards’ Director of Winemaking, Larry Cherubino.
A master craftsman with over thirty years in the game, Cherubino has serious chops. Working in the traditions of vino joven (wines made to be enjoyed young), his Signature Series is the purest embodiment of Bob’s philosophy. Drawing on fruit from Robert Oatley’s vast network of vineyards, the range features ultra-drinkable drops like Margaret River chardonnay and McLaren Vale shiraz, but if you’re in the mood for something red with a bit of chill to it, the G-20 Grenache takes the cake.
Light and lively, this wine has everything we love about joven-style grenache. It’s supple like young pinot noir with the laid back crunch of sangiovese. Give it thirty minutes in the fridge and lean into its breezy Med vibe. A worthy alternative to rosé.
Wild Folk Pinot Noir
Meet the maker: Corey Ryan
Ah, that exalted prince of grapes: pinot noir. It’s practically perfect straight from the vine, so why play around with it? That’s what Wild Folk’s Corey Ryan reckons at least. Inspired by the natural wine movement, this Yarra Valley outfit is all about hands-off winemaking. But you’ll absolutely want to get your hands on their wares.
“We wanted to honour the integrity of the fruit source and ensure both the variety and regionality were captured,” says Ryan. “What you see, or rather, smell in the glass is what you get. These are accessible and delicious wines that get you as close to the vineyard as possible.”
As it turns out, minimal intervention isn’t exactly an exercise in set-and-forget winemaking. In the right hands, wild fermented, unfiltered wines are among the most joyous expressions of region and variety. Case in point? Wild Folk’s Pinot Noir. Silky smooth, this wine seduces with distinctive cherry notes and refined acidity. So good it might just go from fling to forever wine.
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McGuigan’s Zero Alcohol Sparkling
Meet the maker: Jamie Saint
Elegant and refreshing; crisp pear and green apple; lively bubbles and an attractive, crisp finish… We could be describing Grand Cru Champagne – except for the fact that we’re not. We’re talking about McGuigan’s Zero Alcohol Sparkling.
With new labels hitting the shelves on a seemingly daily basis, zero alcohol wines are becoming less of a niche. ‘Very good’ virgin vino? Not so much. That’s why this wine earns its spot on this list, and truthfully, it’s bloody unreal.
Arriving at maximum flavour for minimum alcohol seems like magic, so we asked Mcguigan’s chief winemaker, Jamie Saint, for the inside scoop. “Trial and error,” he says bluntly. “Understanding the effect that removing the alcohol has on the style of the wine, and how to replicate alcoholic sensations, are things you don’t learn from a textbook”.
There are fifteen years of tinkering separating this impossibly beaut bubbly’s entrance and the life lived honing it. Time well spent in our book.
