2021 Castagna Allegro Rose, Beechworth

An excellent wine that really is a mid-weighted red on the lighter side, offering considerable structural refinement. Salty and profound. Rose petal, sandalwood, musk and tangerine bitters, with a nod to an Italian amaro. A nerd wine ready to guzzle with a vast array of food. More pertinent, a wine that shatters perceptions as any good wine should. Structural enough to promote further complexity with short to mid-term cellaring. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink or hold.

93 points jamessuckling.com

Castagna Allegro Rosé from Beechworth is a beautifully expressive, biodynamic wine that captures the purity, texture and quiet confidence that define Julian Castagna’s work. Made from estate-grown fruit on the family’s high-altitude vineyards near the foothills of the Australian Alps, Allegro is crafted in the same spirit as the great Provençal rosés — pale, dry, and full of character — but with a distinctly Beechworth edge.

Julian Castagna has long been one of Australia’s leading voices for terroir-driven, biodynamic winemaking. His vineyards sit on granite soils more than 500 metres above sea level, producing fruit of remarkable energy and tension. Allegro is made primarily from Shiraz with a touch of Sangiovese, picked early to retain acidity and freshness. The juice is gently pressed and fermented with wild yeasts in stainless steel and old oak, before resting briefly on lees to build texture. The result is a wine of delicacy, vibrancy and seamless balance.

In the glass it gleams a pale salmon pink with hints of copper. The aroma is fragrant and complex, offering wild strawberry, redcurrant and citrus blossom alongside hints of herbs, flint and spice. On the palate it is dry, savoury and finely structured, showing flavours of red cherry, blood orange and pink grapefruit carried by crisp acidity and a gentle mineral finish. The texture is elegant yet mouthfilling, making it as serious as it is refreshing.

Castagna Allegro Rosé is a natural companion to Mediterranean and Italian-inspired dishes such as grilled seafood, antipasto, tomato and basil salad, or roast chicken with lemon and thyme. It also pairs beautifully with soft cheeses and charcuterie. Best enjoyed within the first few years for its vitality and perfume, it will also develop subtle savoury depth with short-term cellaring.