For what it’s worth, I have endowed my personal and unofficial “best Australian nebbiolo” trophy to Protero wines from the Adelaide Hills, tasted at the Wine Focus Australia event in Sydney, where I also met part of the team from Protero.
I get the impression the passion for “geological epochs” (dare I mention “terroir” on Australian soil?) is a genuine one, with an almost embarrassing enthusiasm born of truthful commitment to what the small winery is trying to achieve.
I hope we never see Protero become too boutique or too exclusive (read “up themselves”), as is the fate of many hobby wineries attempting to carve niches. So far there doesn’t seem to be much danger as with a professional team, Protero have every right to hold the conviction that they make very good wine that deserves a label of quality. They have a commitment to organic vineyard principles, and are currently waiting on their certification set to come through in November this year.
And whether it’s the organic principles that make what’s in the glass really come alive, I am happy to say that the Protero nebbiolo is one of the best Australian nebbiolo’s I’ve ever had.
The Protero nebbiolo is earthy and dusky on the nose, with forest berry characters and lovely underbrush qualities. It has a great whack of fruit-based tannins, which I love and which embody the personality of nebbiolo; these tannins are also under elegant control and not stalky or green. Overall the wine really sits in the mouth, with good structure and acidity, while you get to chew on the tannins a little while longer.
The Protero nebbiolo will certainly cellar marvellously, and if this is what Protero is making after only about eight years of a vineyard with their 2005 nebbiolo vintage, I really can’t wait to see what they produce in the future. One to watch. Get your Protero wines in Sydney from Annandale cellars.
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