Ballandean Estate’s winemaker Boxi Zhen has continued his winning streak at the Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland 2024 Australian Mediterranean Varieties Wine Show, held in Toowoomba. Queensland’s oldest family-owned and run winery was awarded Best in Queensland White for its 2023 Wild Ferment Viognier, and Best in Queensland Red for its 2023 Nebbiolo.
A word from our winemaker Boxi Zhen
“These wines reflect the efforts we are undertaking in the vineyard and cellar. To me, the medals are good signs that we are on the right path. I feel honoured and excited that our wines are being recognised by the show judges. It says a lot about how great our Granite Belt wines can be, and just how much potential we can explore from the terroir here.”
Judges praise texture and finish for a gold medal score of 95 points
Estate manager Robyn-Puglisi Henderson says,
“Judges praised the Wild Ferment Viognier for its beautiful texture and finish, awarding it 95 points out of 100, a gold medal score. It’s a real testament to the fresh perspective and minimal intervention approach Boxi is bringing to the Granite Belt. Boxi was recently awarded the Emerging Queensland Winemaker of the Year, it’s so exciting to see him further develop his reputation for winemaking excellence and judging capability.
“Ballandean Estate’s Nebbiolo has an excellent pedigree as our first Italian Strange Bird™ planting and has received ongoing critical acclaim, awarded 92 points at this show. In 2022 it took out the trophy for Best Italian Red Varietal at the Queensland International Emerging Wine Variety Challenge. We call it the Italian version of Pinot Noir at the cellar door. Lighter in body, big tannins, cherry, tar and roses on the nose, ruby and orange hues synonymous with aged Nebbiolo — it’s a real food wine.
“Three of our wines have just been announced as 95-point wines by James Halliday: 2023 Nebbiolo, 2023 Small Batch Reserve Chardonnay, and Angelo’s Vintage Tawny 1987, another ringing endorsement for Boxi’s second vintage as a Granite Belt winemaker. These 95-point wines qualify us to be a five-star-rated winery in the next release of the Halliday Wine Companion.”
Experimental approach in both the vineyard and cellar
According to Boxi,
“Nebbiolo is a hard variety to grow and make. It’s always the first variety to bud burst in the vineyard and last variety to pick at the end of the vintage. Extremely high acid, heavy tannins and light colour while the maturity level, in most of the years, are not enough to climb up to it should be. We are actually undergoing heaps of trials in the vineyard and cellar year by year, trying to boost the quality and quantity of the Nebbiolo, finding the best way to best express its varietal characters while building up its perfect texture during the maturation.
“The 2023 Viognier was part our minimal handling scheme in the vintage of 2023. The harvest was of meticulous design, harvested in batches. Winemaking saw 20% percentage of pre-ferment skin contact, wild ferment, lees stirring during the aging period and barrel maturation. The trophy and gold medal awarded to this wine expressed the winemaking efforts that we committed to the wine. ”
Boxi Zhen moved to Adelaide from China at the age of 24 to complete his prestigious Master of Viticulture & Oenology at the University of Adelaide. He also has a degree in Food Science, which places him in excellent stead to continue the R&D science-based approach employed by Ballandean Estate’s previous winemaker of 22 vintages, Dylan Rhymer.
Ballandean Estate’s 2019 Nebbiolo took home the Trophy for Best Italian Red Varietal at the Queensland International Emerging Wine Variety Challenge. Angelo Puglisi, founder of Queensland’s oldest family-owned and -operated winery, accepted the prize at the Brisbane awards dinner held at 66 on Ernest restaurant at Southbank, Thursday 26 May 2022.
Wine analysis
- Colour—Pale ruby with orange hues
- Nose—Cherry, tar and roses
- Palate—Medium-bodied with red fruits, strong tannins, high acidity and earthy tones
- Alcohol/Volume—2%
- Cellaring potential—Drink now to 5 years
- Winemaker—Dylan Rhymer
- Viticulturist—Angelo Puglisi
- RRP $42
Estate owner Angelo Puglisi says,
“Experimenting with varieties that fit our unique climate and terroir is what gets me excited. In 2001, I thought it was about time we had an Italian red under our belt. Hailing from Northern Italy’s Piedmont region, this grape is known for producing bold red flavours, grippy tannins, and high natural acidity — all while looking as pale as Pinot Noir.
Nebbiolo was our first Italian Strange Bird™ planting. We call it the Italian version of Pinot Noir at the cellar door. Lighter in body, big tannins, cherry, tar and roses on the nose, ruby and orange hues synonymous with aged Nebbiolo—it’s a real food wine.
Nebbiolo is a finicky variety to grow in Ballandean, but when it’s right, it is so right! Incredibly sensitive to terroir—it needs great drainage and a long, bright growing season,” says Mr Puglisi.
ANGELO PUGLISI
Overcoming low yield with great viticulture
Ballandean Estate’s high altitude, cool climate and granite traprock soils on Bellevue’s slopes saw the vines mature a low yield initially. Angelo Puglisi overcame this by using a different pruning approach that produces more fruit bunches. The fruit is the last to be harvested, as it matures slowly with the cool nights at the end of growing season.
Queensland International Emerging Wine Variety Challenge
The Queensland International Emerging Wine Variety Challenge is in its third year. Queensland-grown alternate varieties take on the best of Europe in this unique event hosted by Queensland Wine Industry Association. The varietals are judged and benchmarked against wines from their place of origin.
