Tscharke 2021 The Master Montepulciano

Here's a variety that's not widely recognised nor planted in Australia.

It's also both an Italian village in Tuscany and a grape variety mostly associated with Abruzzo.

Barossa based Tscharke innovates and this is a cracker example of what they do with this sexy Italian grape.

A medium bodied wine with typically pronounced Montepulciano tannins, it will age gracefully, not too long but a few years helps the tannins soften and develop.

There's cherry: black and Morello, garnet plums and more savoury notes like olive and tobacco. 

This is a wine that indulges the senses, unavoidably forward, even pushy.

Basically, it ain't a shy wine.

Bold flavours call for strong matching food matches.

Got a blow-your-head-off pepper sauce for a steak?

Here's your wine.

Mongolian lamb?

Szechuan pork or Ma Po Tofu?

Chicken with a strong peperonata?

Carne con Chilli?

Barbecued salmon fillet with soy, ginger, garlic?

A deeply rich and densely umami mushroom lasagne?

There's a neat baker's half dozen dish suggestions.

You might need to buy at least a half dozen bottles.