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.
About this wine from the winemaker: “Our ever popular Sangiovese is such a great wine to have with just about any food. The gentle yet persistent fine tannins carry all the savoury notes of this very medium weight wine. Its our 21st year making sangiovese. From a warm, early vintage.”
94 Points, Jane Faulkner, The Wine Companion “Sourced from sites across Hilltops and Canberra District. This has morphed into an excellent, composed and highly appealing drink; thankfully a Margherita pizza turned up while tasting this and, as a food pairing, worked a treat. This balances out the red cherries and pips, fresh herbs and pomegranate/cranberry tang to a savouriness, with warm spices. It’s a touch ferrous, too. It comes across as just medium bodied, invigorating and enlivened by bright acidity and lithe, textural tannins.”
93 Points, Huon Hooke, The Real Review “Bright medium-full red tinged with purple, the aromas sweetly raspberry-ish with stemmy whole-bunch overtones. the nose and palate display the same spicy lift, a really compelling fragrance. It’s medium bodied at most and very, very approachable, with fine, soft tannins and a sweet fruit core. Utterly delicious light red wine.”
92 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front “A snappy, crunchy, true to form, crisp and clean red of just under medium weight, tart blood orange meets pomegranate juice, red cherry and red plum with dustings of sweet spice and dried herbs. A little amaro-like bitterness in there too, a cool, slightly minty and anise finish follows. Nouveau sangio vibes, almost. It is really nice to drink, like, really. Yeahhh.”
RRP $35 Our Special Price $28.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
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