2023 Traviarti Nebbiolo

From the beginning, Traviarti has been about one thing: Simon Grant’s obsession with Nebbiolo. When he planted his tiny vineyard high above the Beechworth township in 2016, it was with a single-minded focus on this notoriously difficult variety. Each release since has inched closer to his vision - and in 2023, we see another step forward.

This is very much the “estate voice” of Traviarti. Compared with the aromatic lift of the new Black Springs bottling, the Estate Nebbiolo is deeper, darker, more brooding. Layers of red cherry, blackberry and cranberry sit alongside savoury notes of alpine herbs, licorice, tar and earth. The structure is striking: a month of skin contact has given the wine a firm spine of tannin, but it’s mouth-watering and balanced rather than austere.

Simon describes the wine as being made in two parts - one batch providing richness and base notes, the other carrying the perfume and lift that makes Nebbiolo so captivating. Together, they create a wine that is both serious and sensual, showing why this Beechworth site was worth the gamble.

Still young and elemental, it will benefit from patience, but even now it’s a compelling example of Nebbiolo made far from Piedmont - and proof of Simon’s persistence in chasing a lifelong dream.