Castagna - Beechworth

Adam's Rib

The following tasting notes are my father's, not my own. Below them you will find some reviews from wine writers and customers who have tasted 'The Red', 'The White', or both.

ADAM'S RIB 2005 'THE WHITE'
Soft-poached apples, apricots and pears that have been seasoned with vanilla and orange peel to give a zesty, tangy edge that adds to the creamy textural sensation that has come from time on lees. A blend of Chardonnay and Viognier that has seen time in older Burgundy barrels to create texture and roundness and allow the fruit to wallow in the limelight.

ADAM'S RIB 2005 'THE RED'
Plums, cherries, wood spice, a twist of pepper and then in the background violets. Intriguing, definitely complex and certainly enticing. A merlot/shiraz blend that has created a wine that delivers plenty of punch and flavour. Savoury black fruits come first then the lingering flavours of pepper, spice and violets appear on the back palate. Plush, sweet, black plums perfectly seasoned with fine drying cedary tannins to whip the wine into shape and ensure it finishes on a savoury note. Strange bedfellows indeed, but like the odd couple, it just works!

Reviews

Adam's Rib is the pet project of Adam Castagna, son and assistant winemaker to Julian Castagna at his Beechworth Estate. Adam has been itching to produce his own wine for a while now and he's finally launched a couple - and indeed, as you would expect, they are very interesting wines. Whenever I taste the wines at Castagna, whether I like them all or not, I'm always taken aback by how interesting all the wines are; they are always wines of personality. These Adam's Rib wines, while not being either exclusively Beechworth or exclusively from the Castagna estate, are very much in the Castagna mould. They are both wines of high personality.

Adam's Rib 'The White' 2005:
It sings. It's mostly chardonnay with a touch of viognier, though in many ways it's more about style than variety. It's got a creamy, glycerol, seductive feel in the mouth, and yet it's spicy and strong and driven with leesy, pulpy, peach-and-pear-like flavour. I like this. It's a real wine.
Drink: 2007-2009. 90 points.

Adam's Rib 'The Red' 2005:
It's very easy for me to recommend this. It's a super wine. It's largely made off 20-year-old north-east Victorian merlot vines, though extra beef has come from Heathcote and Beechworth shiraz. Really though, its boots are filled with unmistakable Castagna personality. Roasted coffee, blueberries, cedarwood, spice, rounds of curling, fine, ripe tannin - and then an alluring bitterness on the finish. It's balanced, delicious, and interesting. It's a great start for the label.
Drink: 2007-2014. 93 points.

Campbell Mattinson - Winefront

Adam's Rib 2005 'The White': A blend of Chardonnay and Viognier; a vortex of fruit, oak and acids swirling around or leap-frogging over each other; … racy…(with a) nervous edge.

Adam's Rib 2005 'The Red': … in one sip it screams 'I am wine, my presence shall be noted.' Solid structure, very well crafted and not cumbersome; … Very good wine.

Tony Keys - The Key Review

Philip White - The Independent Weekly

We had one of Adam's White's the other night, and it was sensational. The 'zesty, tangy edge that adds to the creamy textural sensation' really is the perfect description. It just doesn't fit the standard 'Chardonnay blend' … It is a fascinating wine, …it was a bargain. I've routinely paid $40 for much less elegant or exciting wines.

A customer via email

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