2018 Chalmers Dott. Schioppettino

Chalmers

Australia / Heathcote / Chalmers

Almost extinct in the early 20th Century, Schioppettino was lovingly revived in the 1970s and now flourishes mostly in Prepotto along the Judrio Valley close to the Slovenian border in the warm, temperate and rainy Colli Orientali del Friuli. The delicate variety is prized for its overt and distinctive white pepper and spice notes and firm but fine tannins.
On a 2015 trip to visit Rauscedo nursery, Tennille and I were in a restaurant in Cividale del Friuli when we were approached by the President of the Association of Schioppettino producers of Prepotto. He’d overheard us speaking about the grape in English. A wonderful and inspiring exchange ensued with the local experts fascinated to hear of Australian Schioppettino and giving hearty approval for the selection of the Heathcote site as ‘perfect’ terroir and climate for their beloved grape, which needs good air drainage, warm days, cool nights and mineral soils.
Dott. Schioppettino was hand-picked on the 13th March, chilled overnight then destemmed into an open fermenter for a whole-berry wild ferment. It was basket pressed on 2nd April into a combination of stainless steel and old French oak barrique. After a nine month maturation period it was hand-bottled on site at Merbein in February 2019.
The 2018 Schioppettino is bursting with white pepper and Dutch speculaas spice aromas with a hint of jasmine and woodsy notes. The medium-bodied palate reiterates the anise, cinnamon and cardamom spices with cedar oil, blackcurrant and Davidson plum flavours. These are supported by medium-grain tannins, giving a lingering, dry finish. – Kim Chalmers

March, 2021

Campbell Mattinson

The Wine Front

91 points.

Interesting wine. Interesting drink. Definitely worth buying. It’s dry, savoury, includes a mid-weight serve of juicy/berried fruit, and has a reasonable tether of slightly-rugged tannin. It’s 3-years-old but it feels fresh, almost zippy. There’s more than a little umami to this. Almost a seaweed aspect, positively so. A dry, woody herb aspect. It’s good.

Half litre Bottle In Stock

About Chalmers

The Chalmers family was justly named 2014 Viticulturist of the Year by Gourmet Traveller WINE. Their commitment to innovation and excellence has made them a pivotal force in the Australian wine scene for more than 20 years. Bruce and Jenni began growing grapes in the 1980s, with their vineyard at Euston developing into one the largest and most diverse privately owned vineyards in the country. Their nursery business was responsible for importing a selection of around 70 new clones and varieties, many of which are now used in the production of Chalmers' Italian variety wines. Since selling the original vineyard in 2008 the family has established two new sites: one in Heathcote, henceforth responsible for all Chalmers wines, and one at Merbein where the family will continue to experiment with new varieties and clones. Very much a family concern, daughters Kim and Tennille are now driving this exciting business forward.

About

Kim studied at the University of Adelaide before joining the family business. She has been director at Chalmers Wines since 2005, managing operations from the vine to the wine list. In 2011 she was awarded an AgriFoods Skills Australia Overseas Fellowship, for which she wrote a paper entitled “Hot climate wine growing, making and marketing in Southern Italy and its application in Australia”. Kim's husband, winemaker Bart van Olphen completed the family team in 2011, a year after sister Tennille joined the business full time following a 10-year career in hospitality, most recently as a sommelier. The Chalmers sisters have been pivotal in turning the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show into a major event on the wine awards calendar. In 2015 they also spearheaded 21st Century Vino, an initiative to increase awareness and expertise in Italian vine varieties grown in Australia.