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Totally radelaide

Eric Narioo, who is somehow and somewhat familiar to us, and Anna Martens, made their first wine together on Mount Etna, Sicily in 2008. Since then, their small family wine estate, has grown to roughly 20-acres of old bush vine vineyards, olive groves and fruit and nut trees, scattered across the northern slopes of the active volcano. The wines are delicious, focused, and energetic, and are now exported to many countries in the world.

In 2022, fuelled by the desire to spend more time with Anna’s family in Adelaide, the couple decided to start a small wine project based in the Adelaide Hills, while continuing with “Vino di Anna” on Mt Etna. The new project, called “Nord-Sud,” aims to reflect the coming together of the northern hemisphere; Eric’s heritage, their current family homes (Mt Etna, Sicily and London) and winemaking philosophies, with the southern hemisphere, where Anna was raised and started her winemaking career back in the 1990s.

Renting space in a friend’s winery in Basket Range, Eric and Anna have invested in clay vessels, used puncheons and stainless-steel tanks. Close friendships with like-minded wine producers and grape growers, have enabled the couple to source small quantities of organically-grown grapes from sites across the Adelaide Hills. The wines are made with minimal intervention and no chemicals or additives, other than small quantities of SO2, where deemed necessary.

There are a quartet of wines, namely a white and red blend (for easy-drinking) and a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir which have a cool elegance to them.

Their white blend (called Blanc) is a mix of Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Fiano & Riesling sourced from various sites (and friends), the grapes grown according to organic viticultural precepts.

These grapes were all hand harvested and vinified separately, whole-cluster direct pressed into either small stainless-steel tanks or used puncheons with fermentation done with indigenous yeasts at ambient temperatures to dryness. The new wines were left on light lees, undergoing malolactic fermentation spontaneously. Finally, the different components were blended and the wine bottled eight months later, without fining or filtration. This crisp, dry white has plenty of citrus and floral notes on both the nose and palate, a fresh, lively acidity, is balanced by a flavoursome palate, with subtle mineral undertones. There is a saline flicker at the end which might remind one of a good Muscadet.

The Chardonnay was whole-bunch pressed into 500-litre used puncheons where it underwent fermentation by indigenous yeasts to dry. Malolactic fermentation followed spontaneously, and the wine was left on its fine lees until the following autumn, then carefully racked and bottled without fining or filtration. Pale straw in colour, with delicate citrus aromas, pear and white flowers. The palate is dry, with a good natural acid backbone, flavours of white peach and grapefruit with an appealing textural mouthfeel. Nice interplay with citrus and riper fruits with the oak in a supporting role.

The Rouge is principally a blend of dry-grown, organically farmed Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon from Oakbank, with a small percentage of Grenache, for some added spice and complexity and a touch of Pinot Noir from the Piccadilly Valley, to add aromatics. The Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon were co-fermented in an open 20hl stainless steel tank with 30% whole bunches. This was plunged daily for 10 days. The Grenache and Pinot Noir were vinified separately in small clay vessels; 50% whole bunch, 50% de-stemmed fruit with a two-week maceration period, during which the fermenting grapes were left untouched.  The final blend was made in spring 2024, with the wine being bottled before the summer without filtration or fining. This juicy, vibrant red wine has attractive aromas of cherries and strawberries. The palate is dry with plenty of red fruit flavours, ripe, soft tannins, a good natural acidity and medium length. Inspired by good drinking, accessible everyday reds, that also work well being served slightly chilled. A more generous Aussie style, lots of fun, and brilliant value!

The Pinot Noir is sourced from two organically-farmed sites in the Piccadilly Valley. This is y one of the highest wine regions in Australia, with an altitude ranging from 400 to 600 metres and the vineyards are often shrouded in a mix of cloud and fog, further lowering the temperatures. It also receives a relatively high level of rainfall, so perfect for cool-climate wines.

Half of the hand harvested grapes was fermented as whole bunches in a small handmade clay vessel for 10 days.  The other half was destemmed into a second clay vessel and left on skins for 8 days. The components were blended and left on fine lees in used puncheons for a further 10 months before bottling. This understated, delicate Pinot Noir has a beautiful nose of wild strawberries and flowers. Light-medium bodied, the palate is well-balanced, with pretty fruit, ethereal tannins, delicate herbal notes – and an underlying minerality. The kind of Pinot Noir we love to drink!

2023 Nord-Sud Blanc

2023 Nord-Sud Chardonnay

2023 Nord-Sud Rouge

2023 Nord-Sud Pinot Noir

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Interested in finding out more about the wines of Nord-Sud? Contact us directly:

shop@lescaves.co.uk |  sales@lescaves.co.uk | 01483 538820