Ravensworth Shiraz Viognier 2019

This is the third wine from Bryan Martin we have offered in a year. He is one of the most thoughtful, exciting, compelling and humble winemakers in Australia. In short, when we get our hands on these, we grab them… and perhaps his most sought-after wine, the Shiraz Viognier from his home vineyard in Murrambateman, has just been released.

Murrambateman is famous for Shiraz Viognier. It is the town just north of Canberra that is home to the iconic Clonakilla. This is the winery that Bryan has worked at with Tim Kirk for decades. The access, skill and knowledge Bryan has gathered is immeasurable. The fruit for this wine is from a vineyard that Bryan and his family planted at their nearby home 20 years ago. They care for the vineyard intensely and the fruit, when vintages allow, is delicious. \

We drove through Canberra in early January 2020 and the blanket of smoke was quite a sight. They hadn’t seen sunshine for weeks and the fires were only getting closer. It was clear that they would not see a 2020 vintage and most producers dropped all fruit. This means that the 2019 reds from Ravensworth will be the last for a while; though ever resourceful, Bryan has explored other regions and has produced some delicious wines from a new side label aptly named The Long Way Around.

If you don’t know the Ravensworth wines, we recommend getting to. They are made by a gent with a great passion for gastronomy, an understanding of farming, winemaking, flavour and textures. A winemaker not afraid to take risks, but looking to deliver delicious, textural, food friendly wines that make you think. For more info, head to the website, every page is a refreshingly good read and you will be guaranteed a few laughs.

The 2019 is a warmer and dryer vintage than usual, though this is still cool climate. The fruit is mid weight and generous and there is still the signature white pepper, curry powder and rose petal aroma. Decant for a half hour, serve in large stems and swill it down with some spice rubbed meats and braises. Moroccan lamb shanks or ribs would be perfect. Stocks are limited. We also highly recommend the recently released Nebbiolo and Sangiovese.