Oliver’s Taranga Hunt for Mrs Oliver Sparkling Fiano 2023

I think it is fairly safe to say that I had never before experienced a sparkling Fiano. Not sure I knew that such a thing existed. A curious beast, indeed. Like all obsessed wine geeks, I’m always keen to see something new, experimental, left field or simply weird. As the late, great Hunter S Thompson used to say, ‘when the going gets weird, the weird turn pro’. So, I was a bit excited to have a look at this latest version of Fiano from the Oliver’s Taranga stable, who must surely be the leaders with this variety in the country. I must say, I’m not completely convinced that this is the best use of this exciting grape, especially when we look at what Corrina Wright (sixth generation winemaker at the Estate) and her team can do with it in their other offerings in the portfolio. Still, I reckon this would be an absolute winner if it is your turn to provide the wines for a blind tasting with your friends. As for the name, it is all explained on the back label. The wine spent two and a half years on lees. A deep straw hue, this is a rather earthy, muscular style of sparkling. There are notes of stone fruits, stewed apples, toast and nuts and the flavours are very much upfront. Quite fresh, this is undoubtedly different. A wine for drinking now. Certainly, a wine to pique curiosity, and it is worth giving it a go to decide whether or not it is more suited to your palate than it was to mine.

Ken Gargett

Contributor at Winepilot

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.

Wine writer and critic