2021 Chalmers Bush Vine Inzolia

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Hand-picked fruit, whole-bunch pressed, free-run juice only, wild yeast, aged on lees in stainless-steel tanks. Vegan friendly. Traditionally an ingredient in Marsala, inzolia is now becoming a white wine in its own right. Reveals preserved lemon, honeydew melon, poached pear, apple and citrus with an earthy, root vegetable, herbal savouriness. Concentrated and textural, it breaks into a honeyed softness to close. This is a grape with promise in the Murray Darling. Drink by 2026.
91 Points
Jeni Port - James Halliday's Wine Companion (February 2022)

This is a big deal. Chalmers has established a bush vine vineyard in the Murray Darling region of Victoria, and planted it to heat tolerant varieties (Inzolia and Negroamaro), with the intention of drastically reducing water consumption. It has to be remembered that this region is one of the hottest wine-growing regions in the world, and that the average water usage for wine production here is 6 megalitres per hectare of vineyard. This Inzola (and Negroamaro) has averaged 0.5 – 1.6 megalitres per hectare in its short life, a dramatic reduction in anyone’s language. If this venture works, it could inspire a drastic re-shaping of a major/important Australian wine region.
These bush vines have been planted at 1600 vines/hectare. Prior to these vines going in the land was home to an orange orchard, which had been abandoned, or at least had its water turned off. Six years of zero water still had these orange trees surviving/thriving, and producing juicy fruit, which is why the Chalmers family chose this site. Given how low the average rainfall is in this region, and how low the applied water/irragtion has been, the amount of water these vines are living on each year is “well below what is considered the normal requirement to grow healthy, productive vines, and is also below the average rainfall in the varieties’ native regions of Italy.”
It’s a bit exciting, really, as a story. But the wine itself is better again.
This is full-on for character, in a great way. It’s just so generous and lively in both a fruit and non-fruit way. Quartz, stones, yellow stonefruit and quince-like characters charge towards woodsy spice, florals and toast. The flavours tumble over themselves, the mouthfeel keeps everything rolling, the alcohol gives it an attractive kick. There’s body to this white wine, substance, chew. This would slay them at the dinner table; it could easily stand robust food. Wow, we’ve got a live one here. Drink 2022 - 2026.
94 Points
Campbell Mattinson - The Wine Front (June 2022)