Description

‘Someone asked me the other day something to the tune of ‘who are the next generation of newer generation producers who will truly create a legacy in Australian wine … I would put Ravensworth and Bryan Martin firmly in the list. No misses from him. Building a formidable argument to prestige.” Mike Bennie, The Wine Front.

“As a talented food writer, cook and forager, Bryan Martin thinks deeply about textures and flavours. This combined with over a decade’s experience at Clonakilla, has resulted in a suite of distinctive Ravensworth wines.” Huon Hooke, Gourmet Traveller Wine.

Bryan Martin was assistant winemaker and ‘right hand man’ to Tim Kirk at Clonakilla for 20 years. However Ravensworth has been he and wife Jocelyn’s passion since 2001. Finishing up at Clonakilla in 2019 he focuses solely now on Ravensworth in Murrumbateman in the Canberra district.

Clonakilla has often been thought as the leading winery in the region but Ravensworth has gained much success and critical praise including winning the International Riesling Challenge in 2012 and in 2015 he was runner up Winemaker of the Year for Gourmet Traveller Wine. “.. Bryan’s been an extraordinarily great blessing to our business.” Tim Kirk, Clonakilla.

Martin’s approach is deliberately unconventional – he produces a range of brilliant, regionally classic wines, offset by a decent smattering of genre-bending experiments. Shiraz is the main crop on the Ravensworth Estate, followed by Riesling and Sangiovese. Then there’s Rhône white varietals such as Marsanne and Roussane plus Gamay and Nebbiolo. Not only does Martin use a wide range of varieties, but clonal differences across these are also utilised for complexity and tonality.

Everything at the Estate is grown with organic principles and the vineyard is consciously farmed as an element of a wider ecosystem in balance with other flora and fauna so it can develop to its greatest potential. This balance limits any chemicals or other nasties. A little old Italian tractor is employed rather than heavy machinery, and likewise in the cellar, the winemaking uses a light touch.

There’s no recipe—a range of techniques and vessels are used, always dependent on what the vintage presents.

Fruit was sourced from the estate vineyard and four more sites across the Canberra District and Hilltops region (Murrumbateman, Young and Harden), with an average vine age of 18 years. The altitude ranges between 500 and 600m and the soil composition varies, from decomposed granite to red loamy clay. The Hilltops fruit gives depth, roundness, texture and weight, while the Canberra sites (at higher elevation) contribute the varietal character.

The fruit was processed as whole berries with no pumps used, and saw wild fermentation and three weeks on skins. It was then pressed to four- and five-year-old French oak casks where it rested for 10 months on lees before it was bottled unfiltered.

Sangiovese translates as the ‘blood of Jupiter’ ..the roman god of the heavens will definitely be jumping for joy with this libation! Newly arrived – This is a ripper.

Reveiw for 2022 ..95 points, Jane Faulkner for Halliday’s Wine Companion “This represents the 20th vintage for Bryan Martin’s sangiovese. I reckon he has the knack now. There’s a lovely fragrance and such delightful fruit in this, all red cherries and barberries with splashes of blood orange and amaro. Tannins are spot-on, all textural, shapely and mouthcoating, while the juicy acidity seals the deal.”

RRP $35 Our Price $31.99

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