Unico Zelo
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100% Sangiovese from Clare Valley, The same fruit as their Pastafarian, just picked a bit earlier to retain acidity
Picked and pressed specifically for Rose. Crushed, left in the press for 60 to 90 minutes then pressed off, fermented in tank. Very light press, virtually free run then settled in tank, racked and lightly filtered before bottling.
POLLEN GEWURTZTRAMINER 2025
Bottle Shot
From red clay shale over blue slate soils in Polish Hill River, this is Gewürztraminer grown in a site that mirrors its historical home. The variety may carry a German name and be most recognised in Alsace, but its origins trace back to the Alpine town of Tramin in Alto Adige, a region with strong Germanic influence. With similar rainfall of around 600 mm, an altitude of 520 metres, distance from the ocean and closely aligned growing season conditions, Polish Hill River has proven to be an exceptional fit. We have worked with this block since 2020, including for Esoterico, and the consistency of fruit from this site continues to impress.
Fruit is destemmed to stainless steel, left on skins overnight, then pressed and fermented dry. The wine matures on fine lees for 12 months without stirring to preserve clarity and freshness. Gewürztraminer behaves reliably in the cellar and the 2025 release follows that pattern with confidence.
The aromatics show the expected lychee and jasmine, layered with bright notes of fresh pineapple, mandarin and nectarine. The palate is completely dry with a glossy texture and refreshing acidity that sits well above the norm for the variety. If you enjoyed last year’s Pollen, this release will feel instantly familiar and even more refined.
A vibrant, perfumed and beautifully balanced Gewürztraminer that stands as one of the strongest releases from this site.
JADE + JASPER FIANO 2024
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Unico Zelo have championed this variety from the very outset by showcasing what this varietal can do in an ever-warming climate, retaining acidity in desert like conditions, dry grown throughout the growing season. Surely a grape for the future of the Australian wine industry. Those who know this producer well will know they produce more expressions of Fiano than anyone else from single vineyard/region expressions. Passionate about Fiano for sure but Jade and Jasper was where it all began.
100% Fiano. Bunches are de-stemmed then left on skins for 24 hours. Pressed off, racked to fine lees, wild fermented in tank. Lees stirring for 12 weeks. No malolactic. Light filtering prior to bottling. Sourced from Waikerie and Barmera, sub regions of the Riverland from sandy soils. Fiano’s ancestral home is Avellino in Campagnia and as Brendan mentions Fiano is often referred to there as the ‘Riesling of the South’. Jade & Jasper isn’t a copycat of that style but definitley takes inspiration, their own style suited to the Australian culture of enjoying wine pre, during and post dinner.
“Great balance of texture and acid, refreshment and approachability that we aim for in this wine. All the flavours we hope for in the wine in full force, lemon verbena, crunchy nashi pear and green apple – the hits keep coming. Saline to boot. Our hallmark Fiano in fine form” – Unico Zelo
2023 release is a blend of 69% Zibibbo (Riverland) with a blend of Gewürztraminer (Polish Hill River), Moscato Giallo and a small parcel of Greco di Tufo from vineyards in the Riverland and Polish Hill River.
What is Esoterico? A wonderfully delicious and genuinely affordable ‘dip your toe in Orange’ wine from Unico Zelo. A Zibibbo blend fermented on skins for 10 days. Half of the wine is left in tank whilst the second half is patiently left to age in a 3500 litre foudre for 15 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.
This wine never fails to take me back to when I first met Brendan & Laura and they outlined their passionate mission to try and support a grower so he wouldn’t pull out his incredible old bush vine Zibibbo planted in the Riverland who just wasn’t getting any love for his grapes except for cask wine production. They saw first hand the quality of the fruit and set out to try and find a way to buy all the fruit from his vineyard, not just to save the vines but to find a way to pay him a far better price for his grapes. After a making/bottling these grapes in various guises Unico Zelo created Esoterico, a skin contact expression of the fruit from this vineyard and it has been a tremendous success.
Fresh A.F is right on form in 2025, leaning into everything this wine does best while sharpening its identity even further. Picked early in a properly hot 2025 vintage, the result is lighter on its feet but no less expressive, with Nero d’Avola once again proving why it thrives in heat.
The blend is 80% Nero d’Avola, 11% Zibibbo and 9% Fiano, all sourced from the Riverland on Ngawait Country. Nero and Zibibbo are destemmed into stainless steel and co fermented, spending five days on skins before being pressed back to tank for maturation. Fiano is blended at bottling, adding brightness and a saline edge. No oak, bottled bright and clean.
Fresh A F continues to be the clearest example of why Unico Zelo champion Nero d’Avola. It is a heat and drought tolerant Isohydric plant, able to protect itself by closing its leaf valves under stress, reducing water demand. Perfect for both the sun soaked slopes of Sicily and the warm Australian climate. Sustainable, water smart and ideal for producing bright, crunchy, naturally fresh reds without the need for acidification.
JUNGLE JUNGLE DOLCETTO 2023
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Named as such due to the fact that every year Unico Zelo donate 1% of revenue from the sales of the wine to deforestation projects around the world.
The Jungle Jungle is 100% Dolcetto all from the Polish Hill River sub region in the Clare Valley. Brendan and Laura were introduced to this vineyard early on in the Unico Zelo journey.
It’s in fact a former Penfolds trial vineyard, planted and owned by Southcorp in the mid 1990’s. The goals at that time were finding sites for the planned ‘white Grange’ which involved planting Chardonnay in various terriors plus a chance to look at ‘very alternate varietals’, I use the word ‘very’ considering it was the end of the 1990’s and varieties such as Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Dolcetto, Barbera and Tempranillo were hardly mainstream on the shelves of Australian bottle shops and wine lists. This vineyard was a true trial, with each row being planted specifically to produce approximately 500kg of grapes, both North and South facing plantings and lots of clonal varietal. A playground of expressions, you can see why the Carters jumped at the chance to source fruit from here.
In the Mid 2000’s Penfolds sold the site to an independent grower and in 2015 he planted Sangiovese & Fiano which Unico Zelo also purchase for Rose, Truffle Hound and Slate Farm Fiano.
Final blend – 100% Dolcetto. Handpicked from vines planted in 1998 which have been dry grown, very low yields. Crushed, fermented in tank, pressed off then back to tank for the short elevage. Light filtration. Vegan.
TRUFFLE HOUND NEBBIOLO BLEND 2025
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Truffle Hound traces its origins back to Brendan’s time in Barolo in 2014. During truffle season he often watched local truffle hunters visit the winery for a glass of raw, just-fermented Nebbiolo straight from tank. It was a completely new idea that you could enjoy Nebbiolo so young. That experience inspired Unico Zelo’s first Nebbiolo Nuovo in 2015, which has since grown into Truffle Hound, a red designed for pure youthful enjoyment, lifted aromatics and immediate deliciousness.
The 2025 release builds on the momentum of 2024, which marked a return to form after the skipped 2023 vintage. All three varieties come from a single vineyard in Polish Hill River. Fruit is handpicked at the same time. Nebbiolo and Barbera are destemmed and co-fermented on skins for five days before being pressed back to stainless steel. Sangiovese is blended in post fermentation. The wine matures for six months in stainless steel, is lightly filtered and bottled vegan. No oak is used to keep the style bright and energetic.
Barbera leads on the nose with rhubarb, fresh red cherry, pomegranate and blackcurrant, showing the classic Clare Valley expression of Italian varieties. There is also a touch of strawberry compote, subtle alpine herbs and potpourri. Nebbiolo takes charge on the palate with crunchy, crystalline tannins and flavours of blueberry, strawberry and gentle red licorice. The finish is beautifully refreshing with real drinkability and lift.
RIVER SAND FIANO 2024
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Zero meters above sea level in what effectively is a ‘desert’. Very sandy soils. Sourced from a certified Organic vineyard called Bassham in Barmera in the Riverland. A moderate level of ripeness coupled with a moderate to low level of acidity. “Broad and voluptuous without being overly heady, aromatic or intense” as Brendan describes. Perhaps the most accessible style of the 3 single region Fiano’s.
Destemmed, On Skins Overnight, Pressed, Fermented in Stainless, Racked off Gross Lees, on fine lees for 9 months in Stainless. In bottle for 9 Months prior to release.
“We’ve always adored this wine’s waxy texture – like all our Fiano’s, but this one has always been the shining light in that regard. Beautiful wine this year – Lovely frangipani nose with some juicy pineapple, golden kiwi, apple whiffs too. That lovely almond kernel signature is all over this wine again, a kind of apricot, nectarine pip thing too, all wrapped in that honeyed, oily texture. Showing some nice acidity to make it all refreshing – you could drink this all day. So pleasant” – Unico Zelo
SLATE FARM FIANO 2025
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Always the most aromatically inticing wine, a real extravert as soon as it’s released. From the Hill River vineyard, 300 metres above sea level, Continental climate, Ironstone schist clay over the typical slate of the Clare. Higher UV index + hot summers means more ripeness than the Riverland, bordering on tropical aromas however the diurnal temperature switch that is classic Clare Valley (meaning the night’s are cold vs the hot days) means a lot of acid is retained. Loud, delicious tropical tones balanced with that tight acid.
Sadly it’s from a very small portion of plantings of Fiano in the region along with lower yields than the other sites hence we can never have enough to meet the demand in trade.
6 hours of skin contact in the crusher after picking. Pressed then wild fermented in tank. No Malo. 6 months elevage on fine lees.
“This Fiano has got all the Polish Hill River hallmarks – plush white stone fruit and that wet slate minerality. Glorious frangipani and jasmine on the nose, along with those lovely tropical notes that have made this our fastest-selling SV Fiano. The texture of this wine is as good as it gets – beautiful, broad, waxy, and classic Fiano. The acidity is full throttle too, working hand in hand with that waxy Fiano nature. The touchstone flavours are here for those who know this wine well. Ripe pineapple, passionfruit, lime juice, yellow peach. It’s a ripper.” – Unico Zelo
ALLUVIUM FIANO 2023
Bottle Shot
This wine is most definitely the most ‘classic’ Fiano in style. What I mean by that is the Italian’s sometimes refer to Fiano as ’the Riesling of the South’. Lean, mineral with tension sums up this wine best. When young it’s most definitely a food style light mineral white wine, think Chablis for example.
Unico have also started aging this wine another 9 months in bottle post the 9 months elevage on lees in tank and it’s really helped allow this tighter expression of Fiano to shine on release.
Sourced from their grafted vineyard in Birdwood in the Northern Adelaide Hills. Vineyard was grated over to Fiano in 2015. This vineyard is the highest in altitude of the 3 Fiano bottlings and the coolest of all three, 500 meters above sea level, planted in Alluvial Quarts-Shot Clay soil. Brendan highlights the slow ripening of this site due to the consistent cooler temperatures throughout the growing season. Slow rate to achieve phenolic ripeness and sugars.
24 hours of skin contact in the crusher after picking. Pressed then wild fermented in tank. racked off gross lees post ferment. 9 months elevage on fine lees. Occasional battonage during ageing. 9 months in bottle.
TERRA COTTA GRECO 2024
Bottle Shot
For those who have enjoyed Unico’s ‘dip a toe’ Orange wine Esoterico this is certainly more of a ‘graceful cannonball in the deep end’ style of orange/skin contact wine. Unashamably orange in all it’s glory. In fact recently someone asked me “have you got anything more Orangey from Unico?” Step up Terra Cotta Greco.
Fermented on skins until dry (10 days) in a blend of Amphora & Stainless steel. Racked off lees and matured in stainless steel for 12 months.
“Named Terra Cotta for the colour of the dirt that it’s grown in, but now we’ve experimented with fermentation in our Amphora. Phenolics and acidity are Greco’s two claims to fame, and when made with extended skin contact, can take a variety that’s primarily used for blending in Campagnia and transform it into a compelling and complex wine” – Unico Zelo
“Structurally, we’re super into this release – the tannin is a little firmer and fine, and that acid focus has done wonders here; it’s spritely and salty as we love from Riverland wines. Colour-wise, it’s not quite as overtly orange as it was last year, leaning more towards copper than, ahem, terracotta – continuing to surprise us every year this grape, as we did nothing differently. Flavour-wise, it’s a leaner spectrum than the last vintage: chock full of golden apples, white peach, ruby grapefruit and tangerine tang” – Unico Zelo
HALCYON DAYS NERO 2022
Bottle Shot
The Nero d’Avola is sourced from the same Riverland vineyard as Unico’s Fiano. Very sandy soils. Sourced from a certified Organic vineyard called Bassham in Barmera. This is the bright, jovial, juicer style of Nero. Think Cru Beaujolais Gamay style as a reference point.
Hand picked + wild fermented. All Nero’s spend 7 days on skins during fermentation, pressed off to barrel. Racked and matured in old oak for 9 months. In bottle for 12 months prior to release.
“A brilliant ripe raspberry core is all over this thing, all confected red licorice, blackberry jubes. So much fun! Showing great retention of acidity here as well, and a lovely tannin from a bit of time in old oak, adding some all-spice and nutmeg to lift it. We always compare it to Cru Beaujolais – this is a little more Brouilly than Fleurie this year. Not a bad thing at all” – Unico Zelo
PIPE DREAM NERO 2022
Bottle Shot
Sourced from the Birdwood vineyard in Northern Adelaide Hills. 500 meters above sea level, planted in Alluvial Quarts-Shot Clay. Grafted over to Nero d’Avola in 2015. Typically as with the Fiano it’s the slowest ripening of the 3 regional bottlings. Pipe Dream regardless of the vintage for me always smells like Black Cherry yoghurt, memories of growing up and fighting over the Ski yoghurt four pack, black cherry always the most sought after flavour between my brother and I. The darkest, fruit forward and overt Nero of the single vineyard range.
Hand picked + wild fermented. All Nero’s spend 7 days on skins during fermentation. Aged for 12 months prior to bottling.
“This wine has always been one of the fan favourites of the Single Vineyard Nero d’Avola that we produce – that decedent black cherry palate is always a hit. Our 2022 has it in spades, it’s true, but the cool year that it was grown in has given this wine a sense of nerve and energy that we rarely get to showcase from this cuveé. Those dark, forest berries are all there, but interwoven with pomegranate and rhubarb freshness – it’s rather lively, and the piquant acidity brings it even further, wrapped in some glorious, quartz-like tannin too. Very playful – will love a chill too! Strong showing from a much-loved wine in our stables” – Unico Zelo
PASTAFARIAN SANGIOVESE 2025
Bottle Shot
Sangiovese from Polish Hill River, Red Clay Loam over Blue Slate. All destemmed and fermented until dry on skins in stainless steel before maturation in used Slovenian Foudre and used French oak for 12 months.
“Brambley lifted blueberries, cranberries, and blood plums alongside a shot of fresh-brewed espresso. If you’ve ever had Ona Coffee Roasters “Raspberry Candy” blend, this is basically that in vinous form. Nice little milk chocolate in there, too. Red liquorice, lithe tannin, vibrant acidity.” – Unico Zelo