Oh dear, I was glancing through photos and realised I hadn’t even written up the trip to see Luke Lambert and his wines in the Yarra Valley back on November the 1st.
Oops.
My cousin Amanda is a massive cheese geek and overall foodie. We complement one another perfectly because I’m the massive wine nerd who also loves to eat food. Do you see how we mesh so well now?
After little debate, I convinced Amanda to take the day off work for health reasons and to accompany me on a visit to the Yarra Valley. First stop? Madden’s Rise Winery off the Maroondah Highway and also Luke Lambert‘s hideaway where he weaves his own magic.
After a home-brewed coffee in the lab, a tour through the vineyards to see his nebb (nebbiolo vines) and a sip through and comparison of the Heathcote and Yarra Valley Nebbiolo in barrel, we were met with this:
Damn straight, that is home-made capocollo with dense and intense EV olive oil and some bread from Dench Bakery. What’s the old saying, “The way to a (wo)man’s heart is through (her)his stomach?” Haha. Amanda and I were in heaven with this delectable offering. But that’s not all…
Penne with tuna and…
Grano Padano AND…
The 2008 Luke Lambert Reserve Nebbiolo
(sing Alleluiaaaaa)
One happy lady with Murray the dog
What a goldmine. That wine went down a dream with the cured meat and it’s no wonder it can be a challenge to come by when it’s made in such short supply. The main material for these wines, the nebbiolo grapes at the Heathcote vineyard, will eventually be superseded by the grapes planted at the Yarra Valley property. Judging by the young wines tasted in barrel on that day, they will provide vino of greater natural structure, concentration and thus overall quality. I think he had only three barrels in 2010 from the YV vineyard, so it’s a slow, but worthwhile undertaking in his quest to produce a great Australian Nebbiolo.
Luke Lambert wines available at leading independent retailers.
La Donna del Vino 
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