Gundog Estate Indomitus Albus 2022
- 93
- $40
- Drink by: 2022-2027
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A confession. The ‘natural wine for the sake of it’ movement never did much at all for me. Too often, it seemed a good excuse to cover winemaking faults and some simply very ordinary and uninteresting wines. Emperor’s new clothes stuff. What does thrill me are the guys who are pushing boundaries. Whether that is ‘natural’, part thereof or completely unrelated, doesn’t matter. Fascinating to see what they do. Matt Burton at Gundog Estate is one of the guys who is pushing boundaries and doing it superbly. We’ll forgive him the curious names.
This is a blend of Hunter Valley Semillon (dominant) and Canberra Riesling. The components received a variety of different treatments from the team. Some wild fermentation on skins, some cloudy in barrel. Maturation was on skins and lees which enhances both the complexity and texture. A shining yellow in colour, the nose is still quite tight and the palate as taut as a drum. There are notes of citrus and stonefruit and these fill out on the palate. The texture is very much a highlight, gorgeously layered and supple with hints of orange rind emerging on the palate. Excellent length here and juicy acidity running the length. Delicious now, it surely has five more years ahead of it in good cellars, though it will probably go twice as long if you let it.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
