Australian Nebbiolo Can't Beat Italian... Right-

So my name is Brendan. I'm a winemaker in Australia and I'm an absolute neb head, so much so that I actually started a winery called Unicozello. We make a lot of Nebbiolo. So we like to think that we're not too bad at making it here, certainly a different style, but I have my own personal reservations about how good and bad Australian Nebbiolos are against their Piedmontese counterparts. Today we're going to try to put it to the test where we have three Italian Nebbiolos randomly interspersed amongst three of the top end Aussies at the peak of their game. And we're going to tell you who's the winner. Well, there you go. Brendan and I are going to like the Italian Nebs. I'm going to like the Australian Nebs. Nebbiolos from Italy are very much so Nebbiolos from Italy. They are like, hey, guess what? We got tannin and we want to hurt you. Whereas Australian Nebbiolos are like, hey, we can't quite get as tannic as Italian Nebbiolos, but we're still cool. And I like them more. First cap off the rank, we are talking about a great lighter colored red wine brick, uh, hued highlights. Nebbiolo, very ripe strawberry. So immediately I'm going Australia. I've got this theory that you can actually smell Italian wine. Let's see how quickly this theory falls in a hole. My number one, Australian. Pretty delicate nose, like not so aromatic and it's more spicy, sort of green peppery, spicy. There's something about Australian Nebbiolos that it is so damn ripe. You see a lot more savoriness in the Italian examples. And again, there's a lack of tannin here. It's still tannin, but it's not Barolo tannin. Happy with that being Aussie, very much so sour cherry, not a lot of tannin, not a lot of rusticity. It's a good one. Wow. It's got the weight and structure that I would expect out of a Nebbiolo. It's even got this great maturation element. The finish on it's fine. It's great. I don't think it's from Italy in any way, shape or form. I'd spend around about 50 bucks bottle on it and I'd buy three to six. It's juicy and delicious, but it lacks density and complexity. Um, I would drink it quite happily. I'd grab six and I'd pay 40 bucks for it. Six bottles, 30 bucks. We are playing the options game, but the only question you have to answer is new world or old world. That is new Much more, uh, density and color. A little bit more on that brick huge side of the whole thing. Wine number two, Italian. Straight off the bat, this smells Italian and it's just the intensity of the aromatics. Much more savory, much more earthy, much more aromatic. This is definitely Italian. If this is Australian, oh boy. Wine number two, is this new world or old world? Boo. Smells like the wardrobe you take into Narnia. That is an old world wine. It tastes a little bit dusty. It doesn't taste as if it tastes like it's, it tastes this way because that's how they've been doing it for the longest time. Not because in Australia where some wine reps come through with a new piece of kit that's going to make the wines easier to make more efficiently and cleaner. Delightful, juicy, but really lovely, rustic and savory. Put some elegance to it. There's like light daintiness that, uh, tannin is really, really pretty. Great acidity. Great full blown tannin structure. This is very, very, very serious Nebbiolo. Straight out of it. I'm going to pay 150 bucks a bottle and I'm going to buy six to 12. This is just the way they've been doing it for a long time. That is Italian. Three bottles, 80 bucks. Italian Nebbiolo, more expensive. It's where it's from. Again, six and I paid 75 for this. I think it's pretty good. It's not amazing, but it's pretty bloody good. Wine number three, called this Italian. Based on the color, I'm having second thoughts. This looks a lot sort of more Australian in its fruit in the sense that it is that richer red color. Kind of redder, but still got some like nice tawny highlights. Very light colors here, guys. Aromatics much more muted. Okay, big step down from the previous wine. Definitely got that kind of fresh blood iodine character. It's probably Aussie. And it's something that I find that Australian producers aren't really nailing is they might even get the distribution of flavor. It smells like a net, but the dial on it is like turned way down as opposed to the dial being turned way up when it comes to anything that comes out of Italy, if I'm correct in my blind tasting prowess. There's a palate wave and shape to this wine that I think reminds me of Australia. It's really impressive. You have that kind of strawberry character. Tannin is here, there, and everywhere. On the back of my teeth, on the tip of my tongue, it's on the back of my lower teeth, it's behind my gums. That's Nebbiolo, baby. That's tannin, yuck. Ripe, like lower acidity, great wine, great texture, great like really nailed the structure on this. So I'm going with this Aussie. I think it's really bloody good. I'm going 12. I'd happily pay 80 bucks for this. Nebbiolo is exciting. It's a compelling drink. It's just like sometimes it's doing too much, you know? 380. I'd pay around about 80 bucks a bottle and I would buy 326. A bit more fruity, a bit fruitier, a bit riper. I will admit, my nose might not be working great today. I am struggling to smell the area, struggling to smell the grape. Wine number four, Australian. No, it's beautiful. No, it's a great wine. Fruity, elegant kind of Nebbiolo from Australia. I think it's just fan bloody tastic. And that tastes Aussie still. Raspberry red fruit, primary, right from the Aussie sun. Again, nailing the structure, great finish, really sweet like fruit profile and that's lovely. What an interesting take. I'd pay around about $65 a bottle for it and I would buy three to six. Give me six bottles of that and I'll pay 40. I'll grab another 12 and I'd happily pay about 80 bucks. I think this is just kind of like a different stroke of the last one, but this is, that's delicious. That is really, really good. Wow. Okay. Uh, what does this smell like? Whoa. Okay. Uh, there's a fair whack of oak here. Wine number five, Australian. Looks like fermented tomatoes. Really cool. I don't see this kind of level of oak in Australian Nebbiolo. Quite French in its feel. Not a bad thing, just an observation. That's not a Nebbiolo. Out of all of these wines, the wine here in the glass nails acidity very well. Interesting. I've already sort of chosen my three Australians and I think I could be incorrect. Probably my wine of the lineup. I'd have a dozen and I'd pay 60 bucks for it. Full, savory, Italian. I like it. I just don't love it. A six for 75. Again, nothing too like overwhelming. $75 a bottle for it and I would buy six to 12. Think it's a yummy wine. Again, if this is from Australia, it would be very impressive. The sort of brownest, darkest of the lot and ripest. Wine number six, Italian. Okay. Just smells like Piemonte. Just like, it just can't be anything but. Like this smells, feels like Barolo. More tannin, but all I can do with these tastings is set myself some parameters and then try and judge the wines within those. Today I've set the parameters of, I think Australian Nebbiolo is generally speaking, more primary fruit and a little bit less masochistic, whereas Italian Nebbiolo is more rustic, more traditional and quite spicy. Oh, it's a beautiful one and that's the most complete for me. I think that is the most complete wine. Amazing amount of tannin, amazing finish. Layers and layers and layers. Potpourri, tar, leather, cedar. Going to be dropping around about 150 bucks a bottle and I am down for like 12. This is my one line. I think it's absolutely fantastic and I would have 12. Three bottles, 60 bucks again. So if you love Nebbiolo, listen to Brendan and Noah more on this tasting than me because I like Nebbiolo's, the taste, I'm like Nebbiolo's. It was the French Open where Kyle Sarkaraz won right at the end, but Sina actually technically won more points. That's how I feel about this bracket. Let's see how the other guys went. I get the same thing from hosting quiz nights, I guess. Guys, we have six of my favorite grape variety. Back on this bullshit. And it's an Aussie versus Italian, which is another great one. It's good to have a little bit of like a stock check to see where the Aussies are at, in reference to their counterparts. Do you reckon you know the Aussie from the Italian? Yeah, I think so. I think with Nebbiolo, like this bracket, this is David versus Valaya. Like Australian Nebbiolo, for all its positives, and there's some great wines in here from Australia, like Italy can just do it so much better. With that being said, I likened this bracket to the French Open final. Even though Carlos Sarkaraz won, technically Yannick Sina won more points. And that's how I scored it. More of the Italian wines, but I still think the Italian wines are better. I've been pondering this sort of recently about how Australian winemakers are so focused on primary fruit and how that is just not compatible with this grape. It's so reliant on tertiary development. It's so reliant on maturation. And one thing that I noticed is that there is a big variance in aromatic power of some of these wines versus some of these other wines. And that's what I used as a basis of being able to determine what's what. Yeah, I did something different with this tasting because I knew they were all Nebs in the game was pick Aussie versus Italian. I started my tasting by pulling all six out like this, going through them and smelling them and then trying to guess them based on the smell alone. Because I do feel like there is some old-worldy characteristics. I completely agree. That pop out. I don't know how well I will have done. I like some of these wines more than I was expecting to. I thought I was going to be here for another one of those like, oh my god, my mouth needs a massage after this. No, this was not as intense as the Barbarosco thing, where it's like there's a lot of drinkability here. Speaks volumes to the Australian aspect of it too. Wine number one, Aussie, right? Aussie, I'd egged it as. I thought it was a pretty good reference point for Aussie as well. Like the distribution of flavours right. It's just a bit muted. That lovely bright primary strawberry thing. Yeah, it is so perfectly ripe strawberry. It just looks like Aussie. I think this is one of those nouveau, easy drinking. It's not like trying to be crazy. I think it's delicious, bright and yum. I wanted six of them for 30 bucks a bottle. Definitely leaning towards the Aussie thing. Just even looking at the colour, that is the lightest of the wines. And the least brown. The least brown, yeah. Brown is a good indicator here. Three for 50. Oh, six for 40. We are, hey, cool. Vigneron Spicero, 28 bucks. 28 bucks, I can't be right. $28.24. Vigneron Spicero Brown, Tessa Brown. Any relation to the Browns? No. No. We followed Tessa. Oh, not the Brown brothers. In a weird, non-creepy way. Tessa was the one pulling the crew out of Beechwood that we didn't have coffee with in the morning because I was too late. Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I remember not seeing her. Good wine, Tessa. Great wine. Under 30 bucks, that's brilliant. Yeah. Very good value. One number two. Somewhere. This is, this was like night and day. This is a Dalian, yeah? Yeah, 100%. Cool. Yeah, no, this is brilliant. This is great. This is a killer wine. Great earthiness. Yeah. For all those reasons, I liked it less. I was three for 80. It smelled clearly Italian. Oh, a wardrobe. Yeah. No, for sure. And not necessarily the cleanest wardrobe. No. No. Oh, no. A little dusty one. And a little bit of bread. Tiny amount, just kind of dusting a bit on there, which is lovely. Because in Australia, we have- I'm flexing bread. Yes. Three for 80. I thought it was going to be more expensive. It's from Italy. Six for 150. Six for 75. Yeah, righto. I'm a nuclear junkie. Don't be Aussie. Hey, 28 again. ------- Moretti. Moretti again. Seriously. These wines are so good. These are looking good for no money. Trouble in the city. Luckily, we've got the domestic, like, you know, it's poor local. So if you're watching this and you're like, I can't buy Moretti where I'm from, it is Australian exclusive. We're very lucky here that we can get, though I suppose you're very lucky, you probably get 10 euro a bottle longer. Yes, exactly. This is how we compare. We have to cut out a few middlemen. Wine number three. Aussie. Yeah, Aussie and excellent. Excellent, excellent Australian wine. I think this is really good. This is kind of as good as you can get for Australian Beviolo. Like, it's got that kind of lovely, like, spectrum of fruit. It's not like that jammy strawberry thing. It doesn't have, of course, that kind of, like, earthiness that Piemonte has, but I think this is an excellent wine. Tannins there. It's beautiful. The tannins are ripe. And the tannins being ripe, having worked under the school of panel, it's always been about, like, get the tannins ripe, get the tannins ripe. Like, it's the ripest of all the tannins here, even including the ones that I believe are Italian. And so that just leads me down. It's Aussie, and I'm kind of thinking it's South Aussie, and I'm kind of thinking it's panel, because I've just never seen anything with tannin like that. Interesting. I think I got led astray on this one. So the fact that you're saying that it is a atypical example of Australian Nero that has managed to achieve that ripeness and things like that. I called this Italian based. Again, these were all calls based on smell and look alone. I didn't love it. For all the reasons you were just saying, I was three for 60 again. Every time that this grape varietal is done correctly, I like it less. And when it's done incorrectly, I like it more. Like, give me that blue-fruited, under-ripe neb. I went 80 bucks, and between three and six. That was pretty cool. I was 12 for 80. I think this is great. I was three for 61. All right. Is it panel? Oh, it's panel, and for $36. That is absolutely fantastic. The vineyard that's there. It's like Gomerak in there. Yeah, it's there. It's Protero. It's there, and it's absolute. For 36 bucks, that rule. That's not the same neb that we picked down neb out of, is it? No, it wasn't. Our vineyard looks down upon this vineyard. Does it? All right, wine number four. We are, I think, Australia again. I think it's a very- I called that too. I think it's Australian again. I called it Aussie. Yeah, I know. This was my favorite of all the Aussies. I agree. I thought it was really cool. The spice element, the aromatics. Again, pretty ripe tannins. Not as ripe as this. Acidity, lovely, huh? Finish, tertiary development. There's a lot of elements going on here. Reminded me of Luke Lamb and stuff. The tannins are pixelated, like really grippy. It's all perfectly balanced. I really, really, really love it. I was 65, three to six. I was 12 for 80 again. I was six and 40. This one and this one were the- I like these two far more than I like these two in the middle. I was back up at six bottles. I can see myself drinking those. But yeah, it tastes Aussie. It didn't taste super old world to me. It is? Old world. Old world. It is Italian. It is not from Barolo. This is Alberto Odgero. No, no. It is Roero. Definitely Nebbiolo. Yeah, 100%. Lovely, lovely gentleman. Very lovely gentleman. Delicious wine. Wine number five. One of these is Australian. Yeah, holy ----. That's incredible. Both of these were my toe for toe winer lineup. Both of these were very good. If we're going in order, and if this is Australian, my God. Yeah, so we've gone Aussie, Italian, Aussie, Italian. You think this is Aussie. I called it Aussie. This is my favorite winer lineup. It had elements of Nebbiolo that I can appreciate, but then also just overall drinkability, I found this a wine that I would keep going back to, which I can't say for the others. And I was 75 bucks in between six and 12. I was 75 and six. I was 60 for a dozen. Aussie. Wow. Denton. For $50. 50 bucks. Wow. So this, I believe, was one of, I think this might be the last vintage of Luke Lambert's time at Denton. Yes. So, I mean, the Nebbiolo nerd of Australia. This is the nerdiest label, by the way. All the mature clones. It was sort of training, Vine Age, all that kind of stuff. Yeah, I think this is one of the late Luke Lambert vintages. So a Luke Lambert Nebbiolo that you actually get your hands on, and for $50. Unbelievable stuff. This is my favorite, though. Voila. Yeah. This is so good. You hated it? Well, yeah, of course. I didn't hate it. It's not for you. It's not for me. It is not for you. And like we keep on saying, maybe you don't get one person's opinion to cover all of wine, because yeah, this is a wine that when I was drinking it, I was like, the guys are going to love this. I'll get three bottles of it because I want to feel involved. But like, it is. It's that like... Yeah, I get you. I get what you mean. It smells rustic. It smells like a little bit capsicum-y, a little bit strawberry-y, a little bit wardrobe-y. And I'm like, just because you've been doing it this way for a long time, does that mean that you should keep doing it this way? Clearly Italian, yeah? I rated this at 150 and 12. I was 130 and 12. I do wonder whether or not this is the Moretti Barolo. If that's the Moretti London Nebbiolo, because this seems to be one of the best value brackets of Neb. It's such a cool one that anyone can put together. Like, I'm sure all of these must be available, almost like a pack. Different jobs on the website. Ours would be so scarce, and it would be a challenge, but very cool. Yeah, so you're probably getting six Nebbiolos, three of them from Italy. Depending on how much this one costs, it must be more than $200. Yeah, around $200 to $250 for a six-pack. 150 and 12. 130 and 12. 60 and 3. 115. Barbaresco. Hey, Cascina Luisin. Luisin. Il Vecchio Vitti. Really interesting. That's actually Piemonte's dialect. That's why it doesn't sound... Yes, it actually sounds French, because it used to be part of the Savoy Kings. We're used to that part of Italy. It used to be French. 115 bucks. That's good for Barbaresco nowadays. It's valued in our economy. In this economy. All right, this is always going to be contentious, though. I don't think it is. I thought the Denzil was... When we were talking through him, that seemed like the one that everyone was like, Oh my god, that's you. And it was 6-12, and he got a six. I'm happy with that. I think just for how good that is for Australian Nebbiolo... I'm happy to put my support behind four or five, and I'll leave that up to you as your Nebbiolo heads to decide which one it is. This guy, Luke Lambert, knows what he's doing. Keep an eye out for the kid. He's still on some great things. So does that mean the Australian Nebbiolo is better than the Italian? No. This one is better than some. It means Luke Lambert's a great dish. He's like, Nebbiolo with this guy, in some places, he's great. Nebbiolo, it will meet again. There are some good value nibs. Till next week. Ciao.