2024 Dal Zotto Nebbiolo, King Valley

If you want to understand nebbiolo, it helps to put yourself in the hands of an Italo-Australian winemaker. Michael Dal Zotto eases the drinker into the many charms of the grape. Here, the ruby-cherry hues glisten; a good sign. The aromas are pretty and floral in rose, alpine wildflowers and violet, with cherry, raspberry and gentle spice. Another good sign. The palate is plush, inviting and lively in red berries and spice with background mountain herbs. Less tannin attitude this vintage and more bright acidity and immediate drinking pleasure.

93 points Jeni Port for Halliday Wine Companion, June 2026

This wine was made from grapes grown in Dal Zotto’s Cheshunt vineyard.

Perfumed and savoury, it offers a plush fruited Australian interpretation that stays true to the spirit of the grape. We are not talking grandiose mature Barolo here, but rather something akin a youthful, contemporary Langhe Nebbiolo. In a similar way, it’s rich, bright and refreshing, and the perfect red for something like Osso Bucco, or maybe a bowl of pappardelle dressed in a deeply flavoured venison ragù.

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.