Langmeil Massimo Montepulciano Primitivo 2019

Langmeil have built their reputation on traditional varieties from the Barossa region; shiraz, grenache, cabernet sauvignon and riesling. The recent release of Massimo Montepulciano Primitivo marks their move into Italian varieties. These hardy, heat tolerant grapes are a logical choice for a sustainability focussed, family-owned winery with an eye on the future. There’s an Italian family connection too. Massimo was the great grandfather of Paul and James Lindner, the current custodians of this historic winery. 

The names of the grape varieties are a bit of a mouthful; but so is this lush, juicy wine. My first thought was that it smells like Huamei –  Chinese salted plums dusted with liquorice powder. It’s exotically spicy and also quite savoury, like eating kalamata olives by the handful at a summer picnic. There are lovely fresh fruit flavours too; lots of black cherry and blackberry. Drink it in the park with salumi stuffed into slabs of herby, olive oil focaccia.

Pick up this and all the wines from Langmeil here.

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.

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