Lanchester Wines Portfolio 2023

AUSTRALIA - McPherson Wine Co
Bella Luna combines the best of Italian grapes mixed with top notch Aussie winemaking to
create excellent all rounders. As you’d expect with all great Italian inspired wines, these are
versatile and perfect to pair with an array of foods.
Bella Luna Fiano 2020/22
Victoria
This modern Australian Fiano is textural and rich
showing an abundance of fruit complexity in
perfect harmony. You will find strains of honey,
hazelnuts, spice, pine nuts and floral notes.
This is a versatile wine that will happily pair with
an array of dishes.
Grape varieties: Fiano
Bella Luna Nero d’Avola 2021
Victoria
The nose is floral with a touch of spice, yet
earthy with lots of character. The flavour profile
covers the spectrum, from red-fruit juiciness
and eastern spices, through to dried herb and
savouriness.
Nero is a lighter style of red and matches
beautifully with red meats.
Grape varieties: Nero d’Avola
AU283 - 12x75cl
2
AU284 - 12x75cl
C
What was the inspiration for the Bella Luna range?
The Bella Luna story came from the McPherson vineyards in the first years of the
new century, when a lovely picker named Edo (Eduardo)from Rome came to work
with the team and would testify to Jo (Jo Nash, McPherson winemaker) about the
joys of the Italian varietals. After working with Jo for some time and sampling many
bottles, Edo convinced Jo that it would be worth planting just one vineyard
of Fiano and Nero d’Avola and, finally, she agreed.
There was just one hitch…. Edo insisted the vines needed to be planted on the night
of the full moon. He told her planting in this way has been practiced since ancient
times and it would make all the difference to the resulting grapes if the vines were
planted under the “Bella Luna”.
Now, Jo is a practical person however, Edo is even more persuasive than Jo is
practical, so somehow Jo found herself overseeing a full moon planting of the
vines that would grow the grapes for our Bella Luna wines.
We will never know if the beautiful moon on the night of the planting made
a difference to the wine but we like to think it did, and we do feel there’s magic
in that bottle.
Nuovi classici.
Australian winemakers have been experimenting with Italian grape varieties over the last several
years. Some of these experiments started with climate change in mind, but several winemakers
have also long held the view that certain Australian climates were already a good natural fit for
the sun-loving varieties of southern Italy, in particular.
When you think about it, this rise of the Aussie Italians makes sense; the Mediterranean climate of much
of south-east Australia is ideally suited for Italian grape varieties. However, these wines aren’t strictly the
Italian classics we’re used to. While the Australian climate may be similar, the terroir creates a different
depth of character, profile and aroma. Rather, these Australian Italian wines are an ‘interpretation’; these
winemakers are creating a new style of wine whilst maintaining the characteristics of the grape.
There has been with a shift towards more savoury flavoured wines, partly in rebellion to the fruit bombs
of the past, partly due to food culture which has seen a rise in attention to good food. Wines that are
more on the savoury side with more acidity and structure, like those produced from these Italian
grape varieties, are generally more food-friendly.
And, of course Australian wine regulations are not as strict as those of Europe, for example; so there is no
restriction on which varieties may be planted or indeed where they may be planted. Indeed, Australia’s
wine industry has a history of experimentation, not afraid to dig up swathes of vineyards
to respond to changes in taste or in climate.
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