Pigato is the Ligurian name for Vermentino, and this was the first wine Damon and Maddy Koerner ever made. It has since become the best known bottle in their range and the largest thing they produce, which tells you something about how well the variety has taken to the red clay and limestone of Watervale in the Clare Valley.
Koerner Wine was established in 2014 with a simple brief: make wines that taste of where they come from, with as little interference as possible. The fruit here spends around twenty days on skins fermenting in open vessels, is then pressed back to stainless steel and left to settle for roughly seven months before bottling. That extended skin time is what gives the wine its grip.
The result is textural and thoroughly moreish. Lemon and grapefruit pith, green almond and a slight herbal bitterness are wrapped around a saline, chalky core, and the finish is dry and persistent. Serve it well chilled with seafood, fried food or anything you would reach for a squeeze of lemon with.
Vintages may vary. Email us at hello@barrelandbatch.com.au if you would like confirmation.