2023 LVDO Shiraz Rosé

WINEMAKER: Marcell Kustos
REGION: Adelaide Hills, SA
VARIETY: Shiraz
VITICULTURE: Organic/Biodynamic

There are the wines of Tempier, Clos Cibonne, Langlore, Chateau Simone and, of course, Vina Tondonia that are treasured by most serious wine lovers. While we have some stunning Australian benchmarks for Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Grenache, etc, we don't have a rose that gets people excited at every release. Now, I have an ambitious goal to champion Australian rose and make a serious, complex version that is worth placing in the cellar for a few years for increased drinking pleasure.

Over the years, I took a little detail of each wine (sparkling, white, rose, red, fortified) that I found inspirational for making a collectable rose and started to look for the right vineyard. As a result, the 2023 vintage is from a more sandy vineyard in Sellicks Hill (McLaren Vale), planted in 1990, dry-grown and certified organic. The wine-making is a culmination of all techniques I have played with since 2021: whole bunch pressed, wild-fermented and aged in various formats of ancient barrels (15+ years old puncheon and barrique) with a slightly longer levage (11 months) than in previous years. I also started a perpetual reserve aged under flor in 2021 with the purpose of adding complexity, savouriness and texture (similar to the perpetual reserve in Grower Champagne). There is a 10% perpetual reserve included in the 2023 Rose. While it's a different style from most Australian roses, every step was taken with intention and deliberation to make a serious and complex wine.

I'm a winemaker by trade, turned wine scientist turned sommelier (Penfolds Magill Estate, Restaurant Botanic), and now back to winemaking, farming, and studying for my MW exam. LVDO is my creative outlet inspired by some of the great wines and vineyards of the world that have stimulated my passion over the years. The wines are quintessentially Australian with a distinctive European flair. They celebrate historic Aussie styles (Claret, Red Burgundy), popular blends of Central Europe (Chardonnay/Sauvignon; Moscato Giallo et al.), and a blind ambition (Australia's first collectible Shiraz rosé). After all, it is also my reflection as a Hungarian wine scientist turned sommelier pursuing winemaking in Australia’s prime wine regions.

Everything starts with organically/biodynamically farmed vineyards specifically chosen for the style of wine. It's crucial for me to oversee the whole process from growing to harvest to making and bottling. Perhaps my winemaking is best described as natural or minimal interventionist with a focus on purity, precision, and texture. All movements are done by gravity, and all wines are fermented with ambient yeast, unfined and unfiltered. The only additive is SO2 in small quantities (depending on the pH and mainly before bottling).