Chalmers Negroamaro Bush Vine 2021

Learn this name, it’s not hard to pronounce, this is one of the grapes of Australia’s wine-making future. Drought-resistant, it flourishes in the warm climate of its home in Puglia, Italy, and is showing the same affinity for Chalmers “bush vine” vineyard in Merbein, near Mildura. Very lifted and pretty, it smells like rose hip jelly, juicy strawberries and rhubarb. Like many Italian varieties it also shows an attractive savoury, herbal character that inspires food pairing. There’s a mouthwatering crispy fried sage note and those moreish Indian sweets, mukhwas (candied fennel seeds). In the mouth, it is lighter bodied, like a Pinot Noir or Gamay. Strawberry, red currant and dried herb flavours are paired with a vibrant cherry-tomato acidity. It finishes with fine, slightly dusty tannins that invite mediterranean flavours, maybe an Aussie-Italian fusion dish like a kangaroo ragu fettucine.

Nicole Bilson

Wine Critic at Winepilot

Nicole loves wine. So much so that she gave up a successful career in Pharmacy, perfected her spitting technique, and moved from sunny Queensland to the wine-drenched laneways of Melbourne. Stints in hospitality, wineries, retail, sales and marketing filled the next few years while Nicole built her knowledge and searched for the right path. She completed the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET) Diploma in 2016 and became a certified WSET Educator the following year. She now juggles a number of roles including teaching people about wine, curating wines lists for restaurants and bars, judging in Australian wine shows and, of course, writing. In 2016 she won the Negociants Working With Wine writing award and has since contributed to Gourmet Traveller WINE, Halliday Wine Companion Magazine and Nourish Magazine.

Wine tasting