2023 Vignerons Schmolzer & Brown Thorley Nebbiolo Methode Traditionnelle

Tessa and Jeremy at Vignerons Schmolzer & Brown have never been afraid of a pivot, but May 2023 forced their hand. Facing their coldest and latest harvest ever, the Beechworth Nebbiolo fruit was sitting low in sugar while the vine leaves were literally dropping off around it. Instead of forcing a still red from a freezing season, they took inspiration from the extreme alpine sparklers of Valtellina and went down the traditional method sparkling route.

The wine spent two years on lees in bottle, and the gamble paid off beautifully. It pours a fascinating shade that sits somewhere between a pale copper and burnished pewter, totally defying standard rose descriptions.

Drinking this from a proper white wine glass reveals an expansive, texturally rich profile. It trades on a plush, yeasty weight that carries soft, muddled red berries and a distinctly savoury, sub-alpine framework. It’s an electric, bone-dry fizz that shows the variety through an entirely different prism. We've tracked their Beechworth experiments since day one, and this might be their most inspired MacGyver moment yet.