2018 Castagna Sparkling Allegro Ancestrale, Beechworth

The wine has considerable weight. Like it seems heavy on the palate. Like some kind of burnished liquid gold. Then a cheeky, gentle, persistent fizz lifts that weight and turns the gravity off. Joy bounces off the top of your mouth, but the good feels go straight on up through the mixing deck. It’s magic.

Unlike most of these bottle-fermented sparkling wines, this one is neither cloudy nor explosive. But it gives more Sgt. Pepper’s Magical Mystery Tour per sip than nearly everything else I know.

Natural? Like that moody, more wintry Lobo, this wine is the work of methodical, respectful, natural-born genius with an acute scientific curiosity. Genius? Sure. If it wasn’t there’d be a helluva lot more of it.

Phillip White Drinkster

Attractive perfume, strawberry kissed with lemon and faint vanilla notes. The palate is creamy yet brisk in acidity, intensity of red berry flavours is inherent but there’s a kick of saline tang in tow. It feels quite complex, a touch savoury, concentrated in flavour and bustling with fine bubbles. Very fine sparkling.

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