Sixty Second Swirl
Linear Wines in Murrumbateman is a relative newcomer to the Yass Valley region wine scene.
Former Canberra restauranteur and now winemaker – Nathan Brown – ran a stint at Collector Wines before turning his touch to crafting his own cool climate wines with interesting, increasingly popular and food-friendly varieties such as Fiano, Tempranillo and Sangiovese.
The subject of this week’s “swirl” is the Linear Tempranillo 2018. This “Neo” is a medium red colour with purple flashes at the edges.
A swirl reveals aromas of ripe plums, boysenberries and fully ripened raspberries. There’s a shake of white pepper and a little hint of liquorice too, adding to the endearing complexity of the wine.
On the palate, the ripe red and black fruit flavours continue and supported by a lovely line of acid and fine tannins.
We enjoyed our bottle with a home-grown spinach spanakopita with chilli and tomato relish but would go really well with a slow red wine braise of beef or lamb with winter vegetables.
I bought my bottle from the Yass Valley Information centre, but you can also buy online for $28.
Brent Lello
Yass Valley Wine Columnist
