Several Australian vineyards are touching the water with Italian varieties, but one producer leaves the others in its wake. Made at his Dromana Estate winery (Mornington Peninsula) from fruit sourced all over Victoria, Garry Crittenden’s ‘i’ range features a deliciously bone-dry Bianco (Trebbiano and Sauvignon Blanc) 1996 (16.7) and a complex, chewy rose Rosato 1996 (16.8). The Dolcetto 1995 (17.0) is redolent of sweet cherries and violets, the Barbera 1995 (17.0) matches sweet spicy fruit with chocolate oak, the Granaccia (grenache) 1995 (17.4) is restrained and tight-knit, the Nebbiolo 1994 (17.6) is as tannic and tarry as you could hope for, while the long-term Riserva 1995 (18.2), a 80:20 blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera, is dense, concentrated and suggestive of bitumen and dark cherries. Each wine is faithfully Italian in style and the range has at least a two-year jump on its hitherto scarce Australian competitors. The range is temptingly priced between $15 and $20.
