Cobaw Ridge Lagrien 2024

When Alan and Nelly Cooper planted their first vines in 1985, they weren't just starting a winery – they were pioneers. Nestled 610 meters high in a natural amphitheatre on the northern slopes of the Great Dividing Range, Cobaw Ridge sits in one of Australia's most remarkable vineyard sites.

What makes these wines so extraordinary? It begins with their quiet devotion to listening – really listening – to what the earth and seasons wants to tell them. Fifth-generation farmer Alan and Nelly were practicing low-intervention winemaking decades before it became fashionable, achieving full biodynamic certification in 2011.

Healthy vineyards mean resilient vines requiring almost zero irrigation. High altitudes and north-facing sites provides for superb acidity and freshness in the wines. In the winery, they do the absolute minimum – just gentle crushing, pressing, and racking.

Originally from northern Italy, Lagrein is still a rarity in Australia, but Cobaw Ridge have made it their own. Decades of experience have turned this into the country’s benchmark for the variety – deep in colour, structured, but always with that cool-climate freshness that defines the site.

The 2024 shows dark berry fruit, spice and earthy grip, with firm but polished tannins and a long, savoury finish. It’s serious wine, no doubt, but still very much made to drink.

Extremely limited.