AB&D, 'Italian Plastic Golden', 2024

'One-Liner'
A gloriously offbeat orange wine – tangerine, stone fruit and flowers with chewy texture, gentle grip and a properly dry finish.

Tasting Note
Deep golden-orange in the glass, with an expressive nose of tangerine, apricot and ripe peach layered with lifted floral notes and a touch of exotic fruit. The palate is textured and gently grippy, with the extended skin contact giving the wine far more structure than a conventional white. Citrus peel and stone fruit run through the middle, joined by a subtle savoury, almost dusty edge that keeps the aromatics from becoming too exuberant. Despite all that texture, the wine remains fresh and energetic rather than heavy. Dry, chewy and wonderfully distinctive on the finish, with orange peel, flowers and ripe stone fruit lingering behind.

Country: Australia
Region: South Australia
Sub-Region: n/a
Grape(s): 50% Semillon, 30% Muscat, 20% Pinot Gris
ABV: 13.5%
Friendly: Vegan, Vegetarian

Awards & Critics' Scores
n/a

The Story
Italian Plastic is the wonderfully irreverent side of South Australian winemaking, with McLaren Vale winemaker Sam Berketa behind wines designed to be lo-fi, expressive and decidedly unconcerned with conventional boundaries. Golden takes Semillon, Muscat and Pinot Gris and vinifies each variety separately before bringing them together. The grapes are picked in the morning, destemmed and left to ferment on their skins for ten days, giving the finished wine its distinctive amber colour, aromatic intensity and lightly chewy grip. After gentle basket pressing, the wine is matured between old barrels and stainless steel, preserving the bright tangerine and stone-fruit character while adding just enough savoury texture to make this far more than simply a novelty orange wine.

Perfect With... (click me for the recipe)
- Meat/fish: Cape Malay chicken curry with apricots and toasted almonds
- Vegetarian: Charred mushroom tacos with pickled onions and yoghurt sauce
- Vegan: Roast cauliflower and mushroom curry with toasted almonds