Isabelle Agnes is a sommelier, wine science student and WSET educator plus the creative force behind the fledgling, central Victorian wines under the moniker of Zazou. Izzy's Zazou wines are made at Boomtown collective in Castlemaine which is the base for Little Reddie and Minim Wines, but also home to a cast of rotating, younger generation winemakers needing a bit of space and support to breathe life into their individual projects. Izzy has taken a corner at Boomtown, sourced fruit from happy 40-year-old shiraz vines from the Bress Vineyard in Harcourt, Victoria, and set about making her first wine.
It's shiraz from 2020, it's so pure-feeling, it's joyous to drink. It's one of those wines you drink with gusto but pause on to see the finer detail. It's fresh, all dark berries and herbal lift, pretty but with a little grunt, slightly savoury but finishes bright, clean and long. Winter warmer? Sure. But dunk it in the Esky for ten minutes and watch it fly. We love getting in on the early releases of such wines. Not much around so go, go, go. Stay tuned for 2021 releases of chardonnay and syrah...
