The first release of the solo venture for Jonathon Mattick, the former winemaker at Handpicked Wines on the Mornington Peninsula. He packed the family up from Victoria and purchased the (former) Canobolas-Smith vineyard in Orange, NSW. Somewhat of a pioneering family, the Smiths planted the vineyard in 1986 after a long search for the right soil, location and conditions, and for a site that is 820m above sea level has produced some outstanding and long lived Cabernet Sauvignon. Disclaimer, Jono was my desk partner at the AWRI’s intense AWAC course a few years ago and we struck up a friendship. His palate during the session was spot on and I was surprised he wasn’t named Dux. I feel quite honoured to be able to review the first wines that Jono, his family and the team at the reinvigorated Canobolas Wines have released.

Natural ferment. Partial malolactic fermentation (10%). 9 months maturation in 5 year old oak and 4 months in stainless steel (on lees). Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Canobolas Wines, Rosé, Pinot Noir, Orange, 2022

Very pale salmon to peach colour.  Easy musk, light white cherry, watermelon and mint salad, bright mandarin citrus, deeper orange bitters and with a dusty chalk grounding. Texture takes hold first, with a yin/yang of softness from the maturation and MLF before the sharp thrust of acidity for a crunchy experience through the tail. Flavour wise, there’s near bitter orange citrus and easy red summer berries. A classy and considered rosé.

RRP: $45
Alc: 12.2%
Rating: 93/100

Wine sample courtesy of Canobolas Wines