The Case of the Disappearing Winemaker

“You’ll want to get onto Elanto before prices start going up.”
— Max Allen, Top 20 Drinks of the Year, Australian Financial Review 2024

My Hero
Sandro Mosele is a hero of mine.  I am in awe of the man’s talent.  He was responsible for Mornington Peninsula's outstanding Kooyong wines, before departing several years ago, and disappearing from public view.

Mystery Unveiled
In our occasional communications since, Sandro alluded to a ‘new project’, but would not divulge details.  That which was shrouded in mystery is now revealed:  his genius has been devoted to establishing Elanto, a vineyard designed from the outset to make wines expressing terroir (a sense of place). In 2018, a south-east facing, free-draining, volcanic hillside property at Balnarring was acquired on the advice of world-leading soil expert, Claude Bourguignon.  A year later, 10.6 hectares of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vines were planted.

Simple Complexity
The simplicity of this Burgundian varietal mix means that Elanto can focus on the complexities arising from the infinitesimal differences in site climate, geology and microflora across the estate.  Just two wines have been released from the first vintages, but an array of single-site bottlings is in the pipeline.

Vertex, Ironstone, Chicory, Kilnside and Basalt are planted to Pinot Noir, while Chardonnay is grown on the Verge, Buckshot and Seawinds parcels.

Wine in HD
Sandro’s extensive experience taught him that deep-rooted vines more readily produce wine with a definite sense of place.  To encourage roots to grow downwards instead of outwards, Elanto is planted at high density (HD) with 11,111 vines per hectare, making it Australia’s largest vineyard of this type.  The narrow row spacing makes it look like a transplanted patch of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or, but what of the wines themselves?  Does HD translate into a discernible qualitative difference?

Youthful Maturity
Elanto’s 2024 vintage wines are extraordinary, with impressive concentration and complexity, even though the vineyard was only planted in 2019.  This is a staggering achievement, since vines less than a decade old normally produce straightforward, fruity wine.  HD planting limits each individual vine’s production to a mere 300-500g, while intensifying the grapes’ flavour:  something that would take years to achieve with less densely-planted vines.

Elanto Chardonnay 2024
The first impression is the smell of a sea-washed pebble beach, followed by oatmeal, cream, greengage and green apple.  With more exposure to air, honey, vanilla, chamomile and pineapple notes emerge, over caperberry brininess and lemon pith bitterness.  A wine of pent-up power and restrained richness, it is focused around an almost tangible rocky core and Assyrtiko-like concentration.  This tastes like it has staying power, but it has so much to give immediately that it will be hard to hold on to it.

Elanto Pinot Noir 2024
The rosehip, cranberry, walnut and leather notes evoke a Premier Cru Volnay.  This has papable ripeness, but subtlety, too, with hints of pot-pourri, clove and lily.  The tannins are more supple and developed than most red Burgundy of the same age, and the palate begins full, rich and easy, before refining to filigree intricacy and soaring complexity on the finish.  Already spectacular, this doesn't require keeping to be appreciated, although its evident ripeness is kept in check by a vital vein of acidity running through it.  Outstanding.

“Australia’s most exciting, exacting vineyard and wine enterprise. Watch this space.”
— Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion

“This is my chance to put into practice all I’ve learnt and have seen in great vineyards around the world.”
— Sandro Mosele