Woodstock Naughty Monte Montepulciano 2019

This is a single vineyard Montepulciano, planted in 2010, from the McLaren Vale. Designed to appeal to the ‘little rascal’ in all of us, for ‘good times and late nights’. Destemmed fruit goes into stainless steel, open fermenters for five days on skins. It is pumped over twice daily, before pressing. The wine sees no oak with the team at Woodstock believing that using purely stainless steel and tank maturation brings out the varietal character in a more vibrant way, something that barrel maturation is unable to do. A vibrant maroon colour, the impact of the aroma is immediate, bursting forth the moment the wine is opened. Youthful and not overly complicated, the aromas move through earthy and animal skin characters. Lots of chocolatey flavours, which also emerge on the palate. Black fruits, leather, cloves and more, especially savoury tones. Lovely texture, through to good tannins, with impressive intensity throughout. Perfect for accompanying your favourite pasta but no harm in putting a few bottles away in the cellar for four or five years. Get the wine here.

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