Sixty Second Swirl by Brent Lello
This week, it’s another wine for the “never seen before” files. Whitton Farm is a small volume, cool climate wine producer with a focus on Italian varieties, including Pinot Grigio, Fiano, Sangiovese, and intriguingly, the rare-bird red grape variety of Corvina.
A love for an Italian-inspired food and wine lifestyle is an idyllic pursuit and judging by the quality of this week’s “swirl” – the Whitton Farm Rosso 2019 – I imagine the team at Whitton Farm are probably living that lifestyle.
The Rosso, or “Red” in Italian, is a blend of two cool climate superstars, Sangiovese and Shiraz, and is well worth seeking out as both the weather and the thoughts of BBQs warm up.
This wine is a dark ruby red colour in the glass with flashes of purple at the edges. A swirl reveals aromas of sweet red cherries with mulberries with lift of dried herbs, including oregano, bay and sage. The palate is medium-bodied with smooth red cherry and mulberry flavours with a cool climate crack of white pepper. The length is lingering and leads to a savoury and very food-friendly finish.
We enjoyed our bottle with fettuccine and slowly braised beef cheek, tomato and olive ragout, and the marriage of the two was a sensual success. You could also try this with any tomato and Italian herb-based pasta dish, a spicy pepperoni pizza, or chargrilled lamb cutlets with a sprinkle of rosemary and sea salt. You won’t go wrong. I sourced my bottle from the great local wine selection at Thyme to Taste Emporium in Yass, but you can also source yours for $27 online.
