The most common question winemakers are asked is, “What is your favourite wine”. Every winemaker I have met is passionate about wine from other regions but, being a humble race, our response is invariably, “My own”. 

After that, I love two wines in particular, each at opposite ends of the climate and wine spectrum. The first is the ultimate expression of terroir while the second is the highest example of why the best wines should be aged.

The first wine is Barolo. This northern Italian champion is made from the Nebbiolo variety, a capricious vine that loves the cooler, hilly terroirs of Piedmont.

Unlike varieties like Chardonnay and Pinot Noir it does not perform well outside its home region, and this is one of the many reasons I love it. Italy has countless native varieties all of which have been discovered over many centuries to suit specific regions. Nebbiolo (first referenced 700 years ago) is the best example of this process to the point that it has avoided replication in an increasingly globalised winegrowing community. In my view, it is the grape variety that most expresses the soil and climate it grows in. 

Its style is unique and hard to describe. The best easily balances their high alcohol like Grenache, their razor acidity like a cool climate Shiraz, and features spicy/earthy notes like Sangiovese.

The immense tannins are unique and build a signature tingly sensation down the middle of the tongue. Its aromatic profile is beguiling with rose petals, tobacco and tar. Add in enormous complexity – I am still finding new things by the end of every bottle – and you can see why Nebbiolo now rivals Burgundy and Bordeaux pricewise.

Second on my list of favourite wines is Vintage Port. This Portuguese wine is made from a blend of varieties (at last count approaching 100), but the undisputed king is Touriga Nacional. In the Douro Valley vines are grown on impossible slopes comprising brutal stones and in a climate more like a hot desert than the lush climes of Italy. 

Huge tannin levels, high alcohol and sweetness all need to be balanced. Their vibrancy in youth gives way to a figgy, briary complexity as they age, especially if you have it with dark chocolate or Christmas pudding.

What truly makes these two wines special, however, is their ability to age. In the case of Barolo, it is at its best at least 10 years after vintage. Vintage Ports only truly reveal their complexity and depth after a minimum of 20 years.

Both of these wines help me on the journey to make red wines in particular. Their palate profiles remind me about balance, complexity and ageability, for these are the hallmarks we strive for at Huntington Estate.

As for my favourite of my own wines, I say the Grand Reserve blend of Shiraz and Cabernet, a true expression of our vineyard and the talented team who grow and make it. 

Cheers, Tim