We recently hosted newly appointed taster for Australia for jamessuckling.com, Ryan Montgomery to the vineyard for a tour & tasting. Turns out Ryan's roots are much closer to home than his current California base, having grown up in Bendigo & attended school with my sisters and I! It was lovely to have a lengthy chat about Australian & Italian wines and share stories of our experiences in wine. Summaries of Ryan's visits around Australia are most interesting, and so we were excited to hear his thoughts on Vinea Marson in a recent Weekly Round Up.
'Although Heathcote is a shiraz-focused region, a new wave of producers makes wines from less traditional varieties that thrive in the harsh environments of central Victoria. One, Vinea Marson, makes Italian-styled wines as a nod to the family-run winery’s Italian heritage. Founded by Mario Marson, the estate is now a father-daughter team with Marson’s daughter, Madeleine, working by his side. Vinea Marson produces savory, rich and structured red wines, as exemplified in their Vinea Marson Sangiovese Heathcote 2019, a savory yet perfumed wine with aromas of red cherry, wild blackberry, dried rose petal and pickled orange rind.
The Marsons are also pushing the boundaries of white wines with their Victorian Alps offerings. Their Vinea Marson Alpine Valleys Grazia 2021, a complex blend of 40 percent pinot bianco, 28 percent friulano, 26 percent malvasia and 6 percent picolit, gives floral notes of confit grapefruit, lemon grass and river stones. The palate is medium-bodied with a creamy mouthfeel and focused acidity giving generous notes of lemon peel, rose petal and orange. It’s a real tribute to their Italian heritage.'
A particular highlight of the tasting was the 2021 Grazia, receiving 95 Points and the following review:
'Golden-yellow in appearance. The nose is floral with notes of grapefruit confit, lemongrass and river stones. The medium-bodied palate has a creamy mouthfeel and focused acidity, giving generous notes of lemon peel, rose petals and oranges. A complex blend of 40% pinot bianco, 28% friulano, 26% malvasia d’istria and 6% picolit. Exceptional.'
2013 Shiraz Viognier - 94 Points
2019 Grazia - 93 Points
2019 Sangiovese - 93 Points
2021 Friulano #10 - 93 Points