Oliver’s Taranga Vermentino 2022

Vermentino is emerging as one of the white Italian varieties perfectly suited to the tastes of Australian wine lovers – vibrant, and easily paired with either a session in the sun or a wide range of foods. As one of the early adopters of this grape (planted in 2009), Oliver’s Taranga continue to impress. Tasted in July, less than two months after bottling, this has aromas of lime leaf, pineapple sherbet, and country vanilla custard slice with passionfruit icing. There is also a lovely mineral note, like the seashell-studded sands down the southern end of Port Willunga beach. It skips across the palate, playful and vibrant. Lots of citrus and Nashi pear. There’s a lovely pithy texture and tangy kiwi fruit acidity. With a dash of cute, the label tells us that Brioni Oliver’s (Operations Manager’s) kids proclaimed the grapes ‘good’ and ready to pick. It looks like the future of Oliver’s Taranga is in safe hands.

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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