MOMENTO MORI NOSIOLA 2019

Wine Insight

Momento Mori was born out of a desire to make wines that first and foremost have respect for the living. ‘Momento Mori’ is Latin for ‘Remember that you have to die’ (or near to), after all… New Zealander Dane Johns started his career in wine working for Bill Downie in Victoria, later moving on to start his own label with fruit sourced from just a few organic growers throughout the region.

Dane works primarily with Italian varietals such as Fiano, Moscato Giallo, and Nero d’Avola that seem to shine in this climate. All of Dane’s wines are as hand-made as can be. Small ferments, wild yeast, no new oak, no mechanical pumps, no fining, no filtration, no additions. All of his wines are full of character, freshness and purity, and above all else, they are alive.

There are 3 rows of Nosiola planted in the Chalmers family vineyard where they grow
particularly well. Dane has been fortunate to have been getting all of the fruit from these 3 rows since they started producing in 2016.

As far as we know, this is the only Nosiola grown in Australia and indeed, it is a rarity
outside of Trentino in Northern Italy in general. Dane first fell in love with this variety after visiting Elisabetta Foradori and drinking one of her famed cuvées many years ago. Nosiola is always relatively low in sugar which results in a very well balanced and low alcohol wine. 50% of the fruit was fermented in amphora and the other 50% in stainless steel to keep a high degree of vibrancy.

There were a few months spent on skins before being pressed back to those vessels for nearly 2 years before being assembled and bottled. Since then it has seen another year or so resting in bottle. The result is a very cohesive and elegant wine which does not lack in vitality.

Pairs Well With
Vietnamese Sausage and noodles

Sounds Like
Hobsons Bay Coast Guard - Love Song