2017 SANGIOVESE ‘VV’, Payten and Jones. Yarra Valley, Australia

Yarra Valley is a cool climate area north of Melbourne.

100% Sangiovese, minimal intervention.

Troy Jones and Behn Payten are 2 friends making ‘alternative’ natural wines in Healsville, Victoria. From their website:
“‘Hi, We’re Behn (the Payten) & Troy (the Jones). Growing up in Healesville, we naturally fell in with the wrong crowd and became winemakers. So, in staying true to our roots, we’re making wines that don’t strictly adhere to what our teachers told us to do. They are both dirty and delicious with a little soul left in. Come check ’em out some time….”
From the UK agent’s website-
“Yarra Sangiovese who would have thought !!! Peter has been looking after this site now for about 10 years and has a hell of a time with this vineyard. All this work means not much has to be done in the winery. Behn’s best comment, ‘each vintage all we really have to do in the winery is, look over the newspaper once a day at the ferment’. A wine that really makes it self here … hole berries with the ferment, old oak. Fruit forward style of Sangiovese, soft and approachable, while still having an amazing structure.
A New world approach to a classic, perhaps a great gateway drug to get people hooked on those old world styles ??? Did some one say a big bowl of red sauce ??”

Funky but not dirty, this is a fresh, savoury, food-friendly style of natural wine.