Over the years, I (and I suspect my fellow winewriters) have received wines labelled with the names of famous sports stars; cricket, football (any of the three codes) and so forth. Chefs have also been in the game, and in the early ’80s, racehorses and suchlike over the years. They are a discordant group, with one thing in common: the mediocrity of the wines behind the labels. But there are exceptions, one such made its way to my tasting table the other day: Munda Walgalu Country Chardonnay, Munda Ngadjuri +Peramangk Country Grenache and Munda Kaurna Country Syrah.
To begin at the beginning, Munda Wines is a majority Indigenous-owned business, with verified Supply Nation status. Director/majority Co-Owner Paul Vandenbergh comes from Ceduna, part of the Wirangu and Kokatha people in whose language munda means land or country. He says “As Aboriginal people we don’t believe in owning the munda. We believe munda is our mother and giver, and that if we care for munda, munda will care for us. There are over 500 countries/language groups on this munda we now call Australia.” He continues, “We explore varieties that are ideally suited to that Aboriginal country, and that have long-term sustainability to work in harmony with munda.”
The adoption of organic and biodynamic management of vineyards across Australia is a touch stone for Munda’s core beliefs. I’m not sure the natural wine approach of banning the addition of all substances in the vinification processes should be hailed, but that’s another story. What is clear is the matching of variety and soil, intensely watching the evolution of the crop, instinctively knowing when to pick, and managing the fermentation with light hands give the wine the best chance of expressing its munda, and doing so sustainably.
Damien Smith is Managing Director/minority Co-Owner with long-term wine industry experience, and was instrumental in securing distribution of the wines by Negociants Australia. The primary market is restaurants, fine wine retail, thereafter direct sales (www.mundawines.com.au).
2022 Munda Wines Walgalu Country Chardonnay
Barrel fermented and matured for eight months in used French oak. Transparent quartz white. Has finesse stamped all over it, and the balance and length to slowly gain depth to its super-tight grapefruit, white peach, and Granny Smith apple. Seriously good wine in the making. 6000 bottles made.
95 points, drink to 2030, 12% alc, Screwcap, $45
2022 Munda Wines Ngadjuri + Peramangk Country Grenache
40yo vine age. Delicious, perfumed grenache, laden with red and blue fruits. Fresh and fine, able to mature well, but it’s hard to see any need other than drinking it at the first opportunity, albeit respecting its inherent quality. 3600 bottles made.
95 points, drink to 2030, 14% alc, Screwcap, $45
2021 Munda Wines Kaurna Country Syrah
As flawless as its siblings. Deep crimson-purple hue, with black cherries and a fine-spun net of tannins. This is such a lovely syrah, its Blewitt Springs origin shouting from the rooftops. Length and balance just to start. 9000 bottles made.
96 points, drink to 2035, 14% alc, Screwcap, $45
