Unico Zelo "Pastafarian"

Grapes: Nebbiolo + Sangiovese + Merlot + Nero D'avola

Region: Clare Valley + Adelaide Hills, Australia

Vintage: 2021

Viticulture: Sustainable

Fining or Filtering: None

Sulfur: Minimal

Notes from the Importer: There is a bit of a shift this year for Pastafarian, with the inclusion of Sangiovese! The ultimate pasta variety, it must be said. Ask Brendan, we’ve long been critical of Sangiovese’s future in Australia, but after some recent encounters with other producers' expressions of the variety (Hi Sven), we’ve jumped on the bandwagon. Lucky for us, it wasn’t far from home, as the fruit is from the lovely Polish Hill River Vineyard. Still, this wine is Nebbiolo through and through, and it’s the perfect marriage with Slovenian Oak for a perfumed, blue fruited and savoury structured Langhe-style Nebb. A touch of Merlot and Nero to add somebody (and a nice little spice too!). Top shelf here, finding an identity all of its own. Great wine.

Brendan and Laura Carter of Unico Zelo apply an intuitive approach to their wines, making them in natural in all sense of the term. They secure fruit parcels that match the varietal to the soil and climate to region. Nero D’Avola and Fiano from the hot dry Riverland and Nebbiolo from the blue slate soils of Polish Hill in the Clare Valley. Laura, chief winemaker and her husband, Brendan, are incredibly passionate about the soil and produce in Australia. It’s their intent to showcase products to the rest of the world that embrace Australian native ingredients and pay homage to the indigenous custodianship who maintained the land for thousands of years. They seek Australian identity in the products they craft, and their hope is that these Australian stories can oneday be heard on a global scale. Unico Zello is part of the “New Australia” movement focusing on alternative varietals, sustainability, natural yeast, vegan friendly