2023 Dal Zotto Barbera, King Valley

Think you know barbera? Think again; it's growing up fast. Here, the maker explores the tart fruit and herbal flavours of the grape against the strong backbone of its high, natural acidity. A quick decant brings increased aromatics in sour and black cherry, mulberry, red plum and a lovely potpourri spice mix. Juicy and delicious, it finishes with that very Italian-style dry astringency that will wake up even the most tired of tastebuds. Drink to 2029.

92 points Jeni Port for Halliday Wine Companion, May 2025

Barbera is a great red Italian variety that offers vibrant, plush fruit with refreshing acidity and relatively low tannins. Extremely versatile, it can be moulded into a bold and structured red through barrel aging but often shines when the fruit is let to speak for itself through minimal intervention aiming to preserve its refreshing fruit-forward character.

This wine was made from grapes grown in Dal Zotto’s Witfield vineyard and falls in the latter camp. It’s the perfect warm weather red: the wines tend to look their best when served with a light chill (just to 15-17, not fridge cold), highlighting the inherent juiciness and the vibrant acidity of the variety.

Extremely easy to match with food, whether you lean into vegetables or meats, and a pretty safe bet heading to a casual BYO or a backyard BBQ.

About this producer

Dal Zotto is a King Valley based family business established in 1987 by Italian migrants from Valdobbiadene near Verona and Venice, in the foothills of the Dolomites in northern Italy.

Like many Italian migrants in 1960s Victoria, their first crop in Victoria was tobacco, before turning to grape growing at the end of the 1990s. Befitting their heritage, their name has long been synonymous with the Veneto-inspired sparkling wines made from Prosecco (aka Glera). With vineyards in Whitfield, Cheshunt and in the cool heights of the Whitlands, the family has access to estate sites in a range of climatic conditions and soil types which is reflected in their broad range of wines that focuses on Italian varieties.