Mount Macleod Gruner Veltliner 2021
$24.99
SPECIAL BUY 6 or more. Savoury, textural and racy white that shines with food!
Description
Mount Macleod is the second label of the Burgundian-inspired (and boutique-scaled) Caledonia Australis who, in their fairly short lifespan, have carved a reputation amongst Pinot cognoscenti as a fine source of excellent value, aromatically complex and elegant Pinot Noir.
Mark Matthews is never going to win any awards for marketing or self-promotion, so it’s just as well he’s good at his day job! The kind of green credentials practiced at this family-owned Gippsland Estate deserve to be applauded. Winegrower-ecologist Matthews has recently passed his 10th year of organic certification, and has instigated a weed management program using a combination of fire-stick and hard labour. As part of a widespread replanting program for both ecological and carbon-offset purposes, he has planted the 14,000th tree on the property, and since 2012 he has been slowly establishing native grasses between blocks. While we’re on a roll, he is now in his fourth year of removing weak or unsuitable vines and replacing with massale selections. Matthews’ attention to detail also runs through his packaging program which includes specially imported, post-consumer recycled paper for his labels (printers do not offer this product in Australia), recycled, unbleached paper for his cartons and the most sustainable glass he can find—bottles that are lighter and therefore have a lower carbon footprint. We could go on.
Of course, all this eco-energy would be moot were the wines not up-to-scratch and such remarkable value. In fact, for as long as we have been in business, Matthews has quietly been going about crafting some of the keenest-priced Victorian Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on the market. Mount Macleod’s three vineyard sites, all in the Leongatha region, were selected to an exacting criteria; free-draining, high ironstone soils with pebbling throughout, and an east to north-east aspect. The vines are dry-grown and yields, which might easily blow out in the fertile Leongatha soils, are strictly controlled. In short, Matthews grows lovely, organic fruit and his simple, paired back winemaking regime—which includes wild ferments and only neutral oak—is designed to deliver this modest message to bottle with as much honesty as possible.
For those new to the label, Mount Macleod’s wines are about great value, honest-to-goodness deliciousness from an organic Australian grower with an impressive set of values and practices. If you don’t know the wines, do yourself a favour.
This is the second release of Mark Matthews’ Grüner Veltliner. With one eye on Australia’s shifting culinary trends (away from animal protein) and the other on the marginal nature of his site, Matthew decided to produce a lower-alcohol, savoury white from Austria’s signature grape variety. The vineyard—organic from inception and surrounded on three sides by a small forest planted by Mark Matthews many moons ago (with a little help from the Bibendum team!)—has three clones of Grüner covering just over three acres.
The crop was wild-fermented and raised mainly in stainless steel, with one neutral barrel in the mix to add breadth and complexity. It’s a striking, savoury dry white with intense white pepper and green plum aromas and flavours, along with something exotic akin to guava or even rosewater. It’s got texture but it’s overall very racy, with a sappy, cool close.
RRP $31 Our Special Price $24.99 when you buy 6 or more of this wine.
Additional information
Producer | Mount Macleod |
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Region or Country | Australia, Gippsland, Victoria |
Variety | Gruner Veltliner |
Vintage | 2021 |
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