Babo Pinot Grigio 2023

Back in 2009, Justin Bubb had spent almost a decade in Italy leading the transformation of the winemaking at famed winery, Castello Di Gabbiano. He had been sent there to help improve the winemaking and also be a conduit for the Australian owners at the time. Originally only planning to stay for a short period, Justin was instrumental in growing the winery. He also was able to spend time working vintage in some of the most famed wine regions of Italy including Piedmonte, Veneto and Sicilia.

His time in Europe had also helped him see there was an opportunity to bring great quality Italian wines back to Australia. Having decided to return to Australia with Anna Pooley his new wife, he sketched out very briefly wanted to do. He wanted to produce great value Italian wines, to shake any stuffy stereotypes of Italian wines, by offering contemporary styles that suited the wine savvy palates of Australians. He also wanted to continue working with the amazing growers and connections he had with his adopted country of Italy.

Taking an Italian nickname for a tool that measures ‘baume’ in fruit, Babo was born.

Friuli, in the far northeast of Italy, has a justified rep for making the country's best white wines. Bubb explains - "The key to this region is the difference in diurnal temperature. In the growing season the days are very warm but the nights freezing. This allows a nice, long ripening and wonderful aromatics for the white wines". So it's good news that Babo's Pinot Grigio is sourced from this region, specifically from a 30-year-old site in San Martino al Tagliamento, near Pordenone. The vineyard sits at the base of the Alps and the soils are a mix of clay and alpine gravel from alluvial deposits.

Pinot Grigio from Friuli generally has more fleshy layers than, say, those from Veneto and Trentino, a feature Justin Bubb underscores by allowing eight hours skin contact in the press. The fruit was de-stemmed, crushed, and sat in the press for about 24 hours prior to the start of pressing. Ferment was then carried out in steel tank and the wine remained on lees for eight months prior to bottling.

The Finer Details
Style - White Wine
Varietal -  Pinot Grigio
Country - Italy
Region - Friuli
Vintage - 2023
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 12.5%