Alessandro Stefani 2023 Yarra Valley Sangiovese 'La Vignola'

"The 2023 Sangiovese ‘La Vignola’ has an irrepressible quality to its aromatics: candied petals, bright red fruits, cracked black pepper all contend for attention as they burst from the glass. There is something so charming, so playful at work in this wine. Serious attention turned to it: fennocchio salami, a cured and sweet ‘fat’ nuances interplay with dried fennel seeds, fresh bay, and hints of leather. The palate carries through this secondary seriousness, finishing with gently gripping tannins and a soft fanning out. Black pepper, hung game, dark plums all precede elements akin undergrowth, maybe more personally: dark, wet tree-bark. Simply calls for: pizza, or lamb cutlets; potentially even liver with fava beans." - David