Once again I find myself defying gravity and hanging on to the bottom of the planet. I'm not complaining as it is still summer here, or at least it was this morning. A downpour accompanied by a few good claps of thunder seem to have temporarily put and end to that. Before it did so I took brief refuge from the heat by nipping in to a swanky Sydney department store named David Jones where they have not only air conditioning and free Wi-Fi, but also a decent wine section from which I previously bought the wine for (red) week O (2013).
Week A (2015) Chrismont La Zona, Arenis. 2012. David Jones $24.95 (~£12.50).
In the Australian state of Victoria, about 150 miles North-East of Melbourne, there sits a village named Cheshunt, named after the town in Hertfordshire which is host to the world's largest wine merchant (hint: every little helps) but does not, as far as I am aware, have any wineries.
This Cheshunt is somewhat smaller as in the 2011 census it was home to 256 residents, compared to just under 52,000, but does have a number of wineries. You choose.
One of those is Chrismont which has been producing wine for over thirty years, and they now have four ranges of wines one of which reflects the founding family's Italian heritage. That is the La Zona range and it includes wines made from indigenous Italian varieties, such as this Arneis.
Arneis comes originally from Piedmont where it is the white stable mate of Nebbiolo, the red variety responsible for that region's famous Barolo and Barbaresco, and is most notably the grape of Roero. It has a number of synonyms, including Nebbiolo Bianco, if the association needs further supporting evidence.
Its name roughly translates to 'little rascal' as it has a reputation of being difficult to grow. Partly because of that until the late 1970's it was used mostly as a blending partner to other more compliant varieties and had been at risk of dying out altogether apart from two growers who stuck with it. Piedmontese wines generally saw an increase in international interest in the 1980's as more producers adopted modern wine-making techniques and the traditional problems that frustrated consistency of quality were addressed.
This particular little rascal is a lemon yellow, and has aromas of apples, pears, peaches and something herbal. It is reasonably flavoursome with good acidity and an interesting finish that I can only describe with the over-used and suitably vague term 'mineral'. I can imagine this with spicy white meats and fish working very well.
The producer's website advises drinking lightly chilled and with good company. I am lightly chilled, but Australian television leaves something to be desired when it comes to company. I do like sport, just not all the time.
Week A (2015) Chrismont La Zona, Arenis. 2012. David Jones $24.95 (~£12.50).In the Australian state of Victoria, about 150 miles North-East of Melbourne, there sits a village named Cheshunt, named after the town in Hertfordshire which is host to the world's largest wine merchant (hint: every little helps) but does not, as far as I am aware, have any wineries.
This Cheshunt is somewhat smaller as in the 2011 census it was home to 256 residents, compared to just under 52,000, but does have a number of wineries. You choose.
One of those is Chrismont which has been producing wine for over thirty years, and they now have four ranges of wines one of which reflects the founding family's Italian heritage. That is the La Zona range and it includes wines made from indigenous Italian varieties, such as this Arneis.
Arneis comes originally from Piedmont where it is the white stable mate of Nebbiolo, the red variety responsible for that region's famous Barolo and Barbaresco, and is most notably the grape of Roero. It has a number of synonyms, including Nebbiolo Bianco, if the association needs further supporting evidence.
Its name roughly translates to 'little rascal' as it has a reputation of being difficult to grow. Partly because of that until the late 1970's it was used mostly as a blending partner to other more compliant varieties and had been at risk of dying out altogether apart from two growers who stuck with it. Piedmontese wines generally saw an increase in international interest in the 1980's as more producers adopted modern wine-making techniques and the traditional problems that frustrated consistency of quality were addressed.
This particular little rascal is a lemon yellow, and has aromas of apples, pears, peaches and something herbal. It is reasonably flavoursome with good acidity and an interesting finish that I can only describe with the over-used and suitably vague term 'mineral'. I can imagine this with spicy white meats and fish working very well.
The producer's website advises drinking lightly chilled and with good company. I am lightly chilled, but Australian television leaves something to be desired when it comes to company. I do like sport, just not all the time.
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