Wild side of wine comes with Hither & Yon Touriga, Aglianico and Grenache Mataro
In the future we’ll love drinking wines with names that we barely know today. Full of flavour and texture, these are new wines for fast-changing times.
We’re taking a walk on the wild side, to a future where we love drinking wines with names we barely know today.
Have you heard of Aglianico, Touriga Nacional, Greco di Tufo or Carignan?
Some of you may be familiar with these hardy southern European varietals but browse your local wine shop and you won’t find too many Australian examples. That’s changing. Families who have faithfully grown more familiar varietals like shiraz and cabinet sauvignon for decades are ripping up vineyards and planting grapes they believe are better suited to hotter, drier climates.
It’s a big bet. Not only does it take three or four years for the new vines to produce a crop, but will these new wines be embraced by enough drinkers to make them commercially sustainable? McLaren Vale’s Leask family are at the vanguard, producing wines of the future under their Hither & Yon label.
Malcolm Leask, who runs Hither & Yon with his winemaking brother Richard, started planting new varieties after the big heatwave of 2008, replacing shiraz, cabernet and chardonnay blocks that had been on the family’s vineyards for 40-odd years.
By next year, the family will have planted 22 different varietals, mainly in one-hectare blocks in carefully chosen sites across McLaren Vale. The 2021 vintage was the first year the Leasks picked Italian varietals Montepulciano (red) and Greco di Tufo (white).
“We’re future-proofing – what do things look like 20 to 25 years from now?’’ Malcolm says. “We are going on a bit of an adventure but the enjoyment comes from being authentic.’’
The Leasks put a high premium on the health of their soils and practise what is known as regenerative agriculture. Water scarcity is also a key consideration. While an average hectare crop of shiraz or cabernet may soak up a megalitre (1 million litres) of water to produce five to six tonnes, a hectare of the Portuguese varietal Touriga may only need half that – and produce seven to eight tonnes.
So do these old-world varietals made for a brave new world taste any good? The Leasks are creating fresh, fruit-driven wines; soft and juicy, medium-bodied and slightly lower in alcohol. The three wines sampled for this column surprised me with their pure drinkability. Full of flavour and texture. Exciting wines for fast-changing times. Our wine club only has limited stocks though so if you are tempted to venture Hither & Yon, you best do it fast.
Bright and spicy. Screams immediate drinking pleasure. Our Portuguese arrival brings a riot of violets and juby berries on the nose, leading to a fantail of forest fruits, earthy chocolate, cola and minty herbs. Scored Gold and 95 points at the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show.
$33 a btl
The southern Italian native was one of the first new varieties planted by the Leasks in 2008. Dusty cherries, wild blackberries and dried herbs to the fore, with licorice and salty olive undertones. The savoury flavours and firm tannins would be at home with a slow-cooked pork ragu and fresh tomato sauce. Equally good for dreaming of autumn afternoon drives through the Italian countryside. $33 a btl
Hither & Yon Grenache Mataro 2018
Here and there, to and fro: This rich and brambly wine wanders across the palate, taking in the sweetness of berry fruits (the grenache) and the earthy character of wild herbs (thanks to the mataro). Brilliant purple in colour, with hints of raspberry and black tea on the nose, the blend has a lively mouth feel that would pair well with a rustic wood-oven pizza. “It will be hard to keep your hands off it,” says club president James Halliday, awarding 95 points.
“But it could be a knockout with more time in bottle.” $29 a btl
CLUB DOZEN SPECIAL Four bottles of each wine for $23.99 a btl + one btl of Hither & Yon Nero D’Avola. (Due to limited stocks deal only available in mixed case.)
Order online or telephone 1300 765 359 Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm AEST.
The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaite’s Wine People
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