2021 The Little Wine Company Tempranillo, Hunter Valley

Ian and Suzanne Little are both winemakers, both Hunter Valley through and through, and genuinely equal partners in every sense — a combination that's rarer in Australian wine than you might think. Ian has been making wine in the region for over 40 years, while Suzanne oversaw white wines at Rosemount during the era when the local Roxburgh Chardonnay was the benchmark for the variety in Australia. Between them they bring serious credentials to a project that wears them lightly. The Little Wine Company has quietly become one of the Hunter Valley's most interesting producers, built around alternative varieties, made with a light hand and an instinct for balance over extraction.

Tempranillo takes its name from the Spanish temprano — early — a reference to the variety's early ripening habit. It arrived relatively recently in Australia but has settled comfortably into the Hunter Valley, where the warm days and cool nights of Broke Fordwich suit its natural tendency toward red fruit brightness and fine tannin structure. These vines sit adjacent to the Hunter River with Yellow Rock as their backdrop, and careful fruit thinning through the season has helped them achieve a natural balance at a relatively young age.

Harvested in the third week of February at moderate ripeness, cold-soaked for 24 hours before fermentation, then six days on skins with hand plunging and pump-over. Half the wine went to two and three-year-old French barriques for 18 months, racked frequently to keep things fresh and the tannins soft.

The result is an unmasked and approachable Tempranillo. Vibrant red currant, sour cherry and a hint of green olive on the nose with spice, liquorice and a trace of tobacco threading through. The palate is silky and medium-bodied with fine tannins and a fresh, dry finish.

Good with anything from the Spanish or Italian table: a slow-cooked chorizo and chickpea stew, grilled lamb cutlets with romesco, or a mushroom and manchego quesadilla. The wine's red fruit and savoury spice suit all three.

Drink now.