The Wines of Ruggabellus

Australian wines are few & far between on these pages….well that’s bollocks actually…there is only one on the blog so far, but here is an exciting new entrant to the local scene that will be sure to garner some fans…..and I will be adding some more Australian wines over the next month that I feel fit the mould here at Vinofreakism.

Ruggabellus is the new baby….well one of the new babies, for Abel Gibson and wife Emma. Abel has learned his chops at many wineries here in the Barossa…..Penfolds, Rockford, Charlie Melton and with his Father, Rob at Gibson Wines. Abel is currently making his wines in the shed he shares with Pete Schell from Spinifex & Jason Schwarz from the Schwarz Wine Co.

I first met Abel nearly three years ago, just after I moved to the Barossa….I’d bowled around to his place to have a look at a litter of pups his dog “Trudy” has just had, with plans of grabbing one off him….alas, we couldn’t get one of the pups due to where we were living, but I was stoked when Abel contacted me last week to tell me about his new project and he popped around to my pad in the Eden Valley on the weekend to show me through the range.

The name Ruggabellus refers to the rugged beauty of the Australian landscape and the funky labels depicts the topography of the Barossa region. What floats my boat about these wines is that they are measured, food friendly and airy with a freshness and lightness often sadly lacking around these parts. The wines are picked early on a fruit day, there’s generally a percentage of whole-bunch action, wild yeast ferments and all wine movements are with the aid of gravity….no pump style. The SO2 use is minimal with just a bit at bottling and while there are some tartaric adds in some wines it’s something Abel would like to stop using completely…..it’s a work in progress.

The current range consists of five wines…. an Eden Valley Riesling, three fascinating GMS/MGS/SMG blends and a lovely, fresh, pure red blend called the “Fluus”……so without further adieu……the wines….all in carbon-reduced bottles….all sealed under screwcap.

2010 Ruggabellus Edelie Riesling

Only 624 bottles produced from a single vineyard just near the sweeping bend at the end of the straight as you head out of the Eden Valley township. Picked quite late, whole bunch pressed, wild yeast and fermented on around 30% solids, left on gross lees for around 4 months before bottling. Pale straw in colour with quite a surprisingly rich nose. Lime juice and apple, grapefruit with a touch of custard apple. There are aromas of jasmine, orange blossom and minerals with light creamy notes.

Beautifully pure on the palate with a textured moutheel & excellent presence. Again there’s lime, grapefruit and crunchy apple with hints of creamy lemon curd, minerals, blossom and a touch of nougat. There is a lovely seam of richness through the wine, balanced by the acidity nicely….plenty of tension, texture, character and interest here and a nice change from the techno acid skeletons that seem to dominate the riesling market in Australia (with some exceptions!!). 13.2% alcohol – RRP -

2010 Ruggabellus Fluus

1776 bottles produced with 42% whole bunch.  The blend here is 58% Mataro, 27% Genache, 11% Syrah and 4% Cinsault. I do like a bit of sub-regionality so let’s give you the breakdown of that as well…..33% Light Pass Mataro, 26% Moculta Grenache, 24% Moppa Mataro, 11% Eden Valley Syrah, 4% Ebenezer Cinsault, 1% Krondorf Mataro and 1% Marananga Grenache.

Vivid purple/red with an enticing nose of blackberry & black plum fruits with that characteristic Mataro, rustic edge. There are hints of tangerine rind, earth, Asian spice, rosemary and licorice with a light floral flick on the backside.

It’s light in body…..nimble and pleasantly energetic on the palate with sprightly blackfruits with hints of blueberry higher tones. There’s a savoury, gamey aspect to the palate with hints of roast venison & veal jus along with notes of five spice, citrus rind, earth, rosemary & jasmine. Lovely balance and freshness….just vibrant, delicious drinking. 13.7% alcohol – RRP – $25

2009 Ruggabellus Timaeus

804 bottles produced, this blend is inspired by Grenache….the blend…. 69% Grenache, 16% Mataro, 15% Syrah,……56% whole bunch. The sub-regional breakdown is…. 36% Williamstown Grenache, 33% Marananga Grenache, 16% Moppa Mataro and 15% Eden Valley Syrah.

Vibrant purple/red in hue with a fragrant, slightly reductive nose of dark & red fruits…..dark and red plum, redcurrant with a touch of raspberry make an appearance along with hints of orange rind, deep-set spice, earth, ginger cake, thyme, red licorice and violets with some broody, beefy Mataro bass notes on the bottom end.

Medium-bodied on the palate and surprisingly agile & light on its feet…..there’s focus here….again dark & red plum fruits supported by redcurrant and raspberry. Laden with spice, licorice, gingerbread, earth and floral overtones. Great balance and push across the palate with an almost tubular shape in the mouth. Great stuff. 13.6% alcohol – RRP : $40

2009 Ruggabellus Efferus

1488 bottles produced, this blend is inspired by Mataro….the blend is 85% Mataro, 9% Grenache and 6% Syrah…..22% whole bunch. The sub-regional breakdown…..37% Krondorf Mataro, 29% Moppa Mataro, 19% Light Pass Mataro, 6% Eden Valley Syrah, 5% Williamstown Grenache and 4% Marananga Grenache.

Vibrant purple/red in hue….a touch moodier than the previous wine with at wild-eyed, Mataro stare. There’s darker fruits here….blackberry, black plum and cherry with a slight bucolic edginess that I love. Shaded with spice, earth, licorice and grilled meats it’s a very attractive smelling wine with character to burn.

Moodier on the palate also but again, nothing heavy or cumbersome….there’s freshness & verve with great depth of fruit. Black plum, cherry and blackberry fruits lead the charge across the palate with a healthy dose of Asian spice, grilled meats, dried flowers and licorice…..a herbal waft here too…lovely stuff. 14.4% alcohol – RRP $40

2009 Ruggabellus Archaeus

984 bottles produced and a blend inspired by Syrah…..75% Syrah, 16% Mataro and 9% Grenache…..19% whole bunch. The sub-regional breakdown…..75% Eden Valley Syrah, 7% Moppa Mataro, 7% Krondorf Mataro, 7% Marananga Grenache, 2 % Light Pass Mataro, 1% Altona Grenache and 1 % Williamstown Grenache.

Deep purple red in colour….the bass is booming here….blacker fruits again set against a spice-laden curtain splashed with red-fruited higher tones. Blackberry and black plum with hints of red currant coming through also. There’s a floral touch to this one….a sweep of violets and jasmine, along with hints of light baking spices, licorice, earth and grilled meats.

More presence, weight and texture on the palate here also….nothing heavy though, which is the reoccuring theme across the whole range of wines. Again blackberry and black plummy fruits come to the fore but there are higher, redcurrant tones that I often see from the Eden Valley. Spice, licorice, grilled meats and earthy notes rear their heads also….well weighted and balanced with a lingering finish. 14% alcohol – RRP $40

So there you have it…..an exciting new entrant to the Barossan wine scene. The oak use in the reds is judicious with old, seasoned puncheons and the remainder in stainless steel…..the wines have focus, grace and great appeal and have been crafted in a considered thoughtful fashion. Nice one…..

Winery Website – Ruggabellus Wines