In 2005 a gentleman rang me and asked if I would like to buy some Sangiovese grapes off him. I told him to bite his arse.

I went on to rant at him about how people have no understanding of the varietal and it’s particular needs and eccentricities. For instance, I said, what type of soil have you planted it in? I expected the usual black loam or red soil answer and was stunned when he said rock!

I went out to Mudgee and sure enough, they had planted Sangiovese on a rock ledge. It’s exactly what the stuff needs, it grows like a weed and needs to be seriously tortured. Colin Millot, the viticulturist there, has been dealing with the varietal since he established Australia’s first vineyard of it in 1985 and his past experiences with it put him in good stead to deal with it in Mudgee. A rigorous regime of bunch thinning and running juice off helps to concentrate this lighter bodied varietal. The addition of Shiraz skins to the ferment gives extra colour and tannin without compromising the style of the wine.

This light to medium bodied varietal has a solid future in this country as long as the work is being done in the vineyard. Drink over the next 3 years with Duck and suckling pig.