2021 Pipan Steel Tesoro Nebbiolo

It takes a special kind of obsession to move your entire life to the foothills of the Alpine Valleys just to grow a single, notoriously finicky Italian grape. But that’s Paula Pipan for you. She and her partner Radley Steel have spent years chasing the alpine fogs and heady perfume of Piedmont from their steep, decomposed granite slopes in Mudgegonga. They grow nothing but Nebbiolo here, farming three distinct Italian clones with a slow, patience-first philosophy that mirrors the traditional growers of northern Italy. Every time Paula visits, we taste those three clones separately before the blend. It’s a fascinating exercise, but typically, the Tesoro - meaning treasure - their flagship blend, is a case of the wine being greater than the sum of its parts. The long, moderate 2021 vintage has given this release a gorgeous, luscious ripeness while keeping that classic Nebbiolo tension intact. It’s a dark, autumnal style of Nebbiolo, packed with dried cherry, dark rose petal, anise, and wild herbs. The tannin profile is silty and serious, with a faint amaro-bitter twist on the finish that keeps you coming back for another splash. This has entered the ranks of Australia's very best Nebbiolo wines. It's brilliant to see all of their years of hard work paying off. 97 points "Call it what you will – the premium blend, the reserve, top dog – Tesoro is a blend of three nebbiolo clones (45/35/20% VII/IX/X). Exudes a quiet power; a wine to be contemplated with its changing-of-the-seasons dexterity, one moment spring-like and floral, and then autumnal and dark... One stunning wine. Will just get better and better." - Jeni Port (Halliday Wine Companion)