Of all the Italian varieties to plant in Australia, little known Teroldego is a strange one. Infrequently seen outside of its alpine home of Trentino, Teroldego is certainly not top of mind when it comes to Italian wine and grape varieties.
One’s limited experience with Teroldego first came on a visit to Venice, where Teroldego Rotaliano was being poured by the glass at a lovely back-canal enoteca. On recollection, it was a perfectly decent wine, with a black cherry-led palate lent a touch of complexity by a gentle herbaceous twist. In some ways, it seemed quite similar to another northern Italian grape, Lagrein.
The ambitious Geoff Hardy has planted Teroldego near the mouth of the River Murray in Langhorne Creek. The setting here is a lot different to that of northern Italy; flat, warm and dry. However, if the finished wine is any evidence, there may well be a future for Teroldego here in Australia, albeit very much as a bit player.
What we have here is an amplified version of the original; richer in fruit, higher in alcohol and deeper in flavour. While one may loose some of the subtlety of an authentic northern Italian wine, this example is plush, velvet smooth and well balanced. One suspects that our friends in Trentino would quite like it! All in all, Geoff Hardy’s 2010 Hand Crafted Teroldego is a well made example of a relatively minor Italian varietal. It mightn’t be completely authentic, but it delivers plenty of pleasure. I’d like to see it priced several dollars cheaper, but that’s a relatively small quibble.
2010 HAND CRAFTED TEROLDEGO
Producer: Geoff Hardy
Variety: Teroldego
Vintage: 2010
Region: Langhorne Creek, South Australia
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 15 February 2013
Tasting Note:
Deep crimson. Bold nose of black cherries, bilberries, cassis, violet and pepper. Dry, medium bodied voluptuous, silky inobtrusive tannins, velvet smooth. Fruit characters the same as the nose; touch of licorice and anise on the finish. Dark, brooding and savoury but not over the top.
Score: 16.5/20
One’s limited experience with Teroldego first came on a visit to Venice, where Teroldego Rotaliano was being poured by the glass at a lovely back-canal enoteca. On recollection, it was a perfectly decent wine, with a black cherry-led palate lent a touch of complexity by a gentle herbaceous twist. In some ways, it seemed quite similar to another northern Italian grape, Lagrein.
The ambitious Geoff Hardy has planted Teroldego near the mouth of the River Murray in Langhorne Creek. The setting here is a lot different to that of northern Italy; flat, warm and dry. However, if the finished wine is any evidence, there may well be a future for Teroldego here in Australia, albeit very much as a bit player.
What we have here is an amplified version of the original; richer in fruit, higher in alcohol and deeper in flavour. While one may loose some of the subtlety of an authentic northern Italian wine, this example is plush, velvet smooth and well balanced. One suspects that our friends in Trentino would quite like it! All in all, Geoff Hardy’s 2010 Hand Crafted Teroldego is a well made example of a relatively minor Italian varietal. It mightn’t be completely authentic, but it delivers plenty of pleasure. I’d like to see it priced several dollars cheaper, but that’s a relatively small quibble.
2010 HAND CRAFTED TEROLDEGOProducer: Geoff Hardy
Variety: Teroldego
Vintage: 2010
Region: Langhorne Creek, South Australia
ABV: 14.5%
Closure: Screw cap
Retail Price: $30.00
Date tasted: 15 February 2013
Tasting Note:
Deep crimson. Bold nose of black cherries, bilberries, cassis, violet and pepper. Dry, medium bodied voluptuous, silky inobtrusive tannins, velvet smooth. Fruit characters the same as the nose; touch of licorice and anise on the finish. Dark, brooding and savoury but not over the top.
Score: 16.5/20
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