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NOTES
Carlei Estate has come a long way in a short time, with Sergio Carlei graduating from a home winemaking suburban garage to his own (commercial) winery in Upper Beaconsfield, which happens to full just within the boundaries of the Yarra Valley GI. Along the way, Sergio acquired a Bachelor of Wine Science from Charles Sturt University, and has established a 2.25-ha vineyard with organic and biodynamic accreditation adjacent to the Upper Beaconsfield winery.
Sergio believes environmentally responsible viticulture is the best course for winemaking: “Soil to a vine is like blood to a human being. We know that toxins in the blood lead to all sorts of health problems in people and the same holds true for plants, toxic soil leads to improper vine health. Most importantly, cleaner vineyards allow the true flavours in the fruit to be expressed, which results in better-tasting and better balanced wines”.
Sergio's mission is to improve wine quality and optimise fruit flavours, the natural way; “If we look at biodynamic fruit, the tannins are richer and riper. These natural preserving agents soften with the ageing process and add complexity to the wine, that's the idea of ageing. The wines have real length and wonderful depth and as the vines get older, they will just get better and better.”
TASTING NOTES
Light yellow in colour with a green hue, the wine is showing lifted stone and citrus fruit along with some nutty aromatic nuances. There are aromas of roasted nuts, slight match strike and a hint of vanilla oak covering up the fruit. The palate shows white peach, melon and grapefruit mingling with hazelnuts. This is wrapped in a creamy texture that is dry with crisp but gentle, firm acid at the finish. An elegant wine with balance and finesse that has the potential to age and develop further complexity in the bottle.
REVIEWS
Attractive peach and ripe melon fruit; well-integrated French oak; just off the pace on the finish. Diam.13.5% alc. Rating 92 James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion 2008
Sergio Carlei has developed something of a cult following for his handcrafted wines from southern and central Victoria. His Heathcote Shiraz has invariably attracted much acclaim, but I was enamoured by this interesting and complex Yarra Valley chardonnay…Delicious! Paddy Kendler, The Herald Sun, 21st August 2007
Wild and wooly. Really got me thinking this wine. It smells funky and seems to sit high in the mouth, it’s chalky, whitepeach- like flavours coating your tongue and gums in dry, captivating flavour. Grilled nuts, nectarine, pear skins ... and, for want of a better term, funk. There's a bit going on here. I like it a lot, but I suspect that it will polarize (an admirable thing). Drink: 2008-2012 91 points Campbell Mattinson, July 13th, 2007
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