Sly and the Family Stone’s “It’s a Family Affair” was the ear worm that naturally sprang to mind as I checked my assumed history of the Pizinni family along with that of winemaking up in North-East Victoria’s King Valley.
A region with a deep Italo-Australian heritage, a region originally planted to tobacco before many families saw the writing on the wall and replanted to grapes.
The Pizinni’s planting their first in 1978 before making the first wine under their own name in 1994, under the guiding hand of patriarch Alfredo.
Beautifully aromatic Riesling, offering up an aroma as crisp and clean as I imagine the sub-alpine air of the King Valley, itself butting up to Australia’s Alpine range.
Citrus, lemongrass and hints of talcum waft from the glass - but the energy, for me, lies in the palate where a distinct minerality and verve provide the buzz from the go.
Has a width and semblance of textural presence compared to, say, the Clare or Eden Valleys. And nor should the King Valley taste like those other regional markers given the considerable distance and differences in topology.
Finishes with a citrus flourish, clean and long, on a drying finish. 91
Tasted on: Thursday 1st November
Source: Sample
Price: $18
Alcohol: 11.7%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: https://www.pizzini.com.au
Follow me: http://twitter.com/TheVinsomniac
Always look forward to the new releases of Robert Stein Riesling, often coming as a trio (Dry, Off-Dry and Sweet). 
