2023 Ravensworth Hilltops Montepulciano

If you’ve ever wondered what Montepulciano could be in Australian soil with the right hands at the helm - this is your answer. Bryan Martin doesn’t miss, and here he’s given this late-ripening Italian variety the full Ravensworth treatment. Grown in the cool, elevated Hilltops region, this is a wine that embraces its varietal roots while wearing its Aussie terroir with pride.

It’s inky, deep, and dark-fruited but never heavy-handed. The nose flickers between ripe blueberries, black cherry and wild herbs, with a subtle hint of earth and cocoa - think dark fruit rolled in cracked pepper and dried oregano. The palate is supple and juicy, with that hallmark Montepulciano acidity giving it great tension and food-friendliness. There’s a gentle chew of tannin and a long, savoury tail.

Aged for two years in large-format Stockinger oak, it’s polished, not flashy. A top pick for pizza nights, long lunches, or tucking away for five to ten years.