The Australian Wine Club: Acquired taste well worth acquiring in our Italian selection

To say that Barolo is an acquired taste is a bit like acknowledging that not everyone likes caviar.

A thoughtful quartet of Italian reds are on offer in this week's deal from The Australian Wine Club.

Some call it the king of wines – to others, Barolo can be more of a tyrant, brooking no argument and giving off astringently unwelcoming vibes. To say that Barolo is an acquired taste is a bit like acknowledging that not everyone likes caviar.

Some expensive experiences are simply not to everyone’s tastes, and the tarry, tannin-drenched reds that give the Barolo region in northern Italy such a pedigree can be a disappointment for those expecting a different kind of wine.

The nebbiolo grapes – native to the northwest region of Piedmont – from which Barolo, by law, has to be made are little natural capsules of tannin and acidity. That’s partly why a period of ageing is mandated for Barolo wines, to allow a certain degree of mellowing – even then, the power and mouth-coating richness are still its hallmarks.

But not all Piedmontese nebbiolo is destined for these heavyweight lipsmackers. With modern winemaking techniques, grapes grown a short drive from the defined boundaries of the Barolo Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita can deliver wines with beautifully fresh, fruit-driven profiles.

Wines like the Cossaro Monferrato Nebbiolo 2022, part of this week’s special offer case from The Australian Wine Club – a thoughtful quartet of Italian reds that stray far from any cliche of Chianti in a basket.

As well as the nebbiolo there is the 2019 Amagia Etna Rosso, a blend driven by the nerello mascalese grapes from the mineral-rich slopes of Mount Etna with an RRP of $45. There’s a 2022 Sartirano Figli Pinot Nero (Italian for pinot noir) and a Poggio al Lago Ripasso Valpolicella Ripasso 2021, from Verona in the northeast.

It’s a mixed case that evokes undeniable pride in the voice of the Wine Club’s man on the ground, Leo Bassano, who worked with winemaker Marco Cassaro to deliver something akin to Barolo’s hip and engaging young nephew.

“Nebbiolo is the king of Piedmontese winemaking, but sometimes people have the perception before they drink a Barolo that it will be like a big, plummy Californian red, or even something from the Languedoc in France,” Bassano says. “Then they get disappointed, but we wanted to show them that there are many styles of nebbiolo, and the wines from the Monferrato region are much softer.

“We wanted something that shows off the wild berry and red cherry flavours, the softness – there is tannin but it’s riper and softer. It’s quite skilful winemaking – you need to crush carefully, you need to control the temperature, you need to macerate very carefully, you need to handle the grapes very gently because otherwise you extract the harsher tannins.

“The fact that we have these relationships with these wineries allows us to do this – to source grapes and source wine across different areas and different denominations.”

Cossaro Monferrato Nebbiolo 2022

All of the hallmarks of Nebbiolo are here but in a fresh-faced, welcoming package – starting with cherry and liquorice bullets on the nose, floral notes but also a savoury undertow, and just a hint of tar and dried herbs. The palate is soft, silky and fresh, with plum and black cherry, espresso and chocolate, but also that tar for depth and tannins that are silky but structural to deliver a long finish. 14% alc, RRP $38 a bottle.

SPECIALS: $29.99 in any dozen, $28.99 in our Italian dozen.

Armagia Etna Rosso 2019

It’s hard not to picture a winter dessert straight from the oven as you breath in notes of cherry, vanilla, spiced plum, a hint of rhubarb and baking spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. But then the palate is juicy, washing those crunchy red fruits with lovely acidity and a touch more spice, and held in enough tannic structure to pitch it all in a perfect key. 13.5% alc, RRP $45 a bottle.

SPECIALS: $36.99 in any dozen, $28.99 in our Italian dozen.

Sartirano Figli Pinot Nero 2022

With a medium garnet glint, the colour draws you in – but it’s the aroma that seals the deal, full of floral notes with cherry and red berries giving way to chocolate, liquorice and a hint of leather. The palate is just so refreshing, more cherries and a hint of vanilla and sprinkled spice. Lovely, silky tannins give it an elegant length and medium body – Parma ham on the side anyone? 13.5% alc, RRP $40 a bottle.

SPECIALS: $32.99 in any dozen, $28.99 in our Italian dozen.

Poggio al Lago Ripasso Valpolicella Ripasso 2021

An hour in a decanter before serving transforms this and unlocks a medley of ripe red fruits on the nose, cherry and summer berries, offset by cinnamon and chocolate. The cherry on the palate is lovely and ripe, along with chocolate and spice and just a lick of espresso. It’s all very plush and concentrated but a splash of acidity on the finish gives a freshness and balance. 13.5% alc, RRP $35 a bottle.

SPECIALS: $31.99 in any dozen, $28.99 in our Italian dozen.

ITALIAN DOZEN: Three bottles of each wine above for $28.99 a bottle. SAVE $126.12.

Order online or phone [phone] Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST and quote “ACCJ”. Deals are available only while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine.