I looked at the 2010 vintage of this wine from Topper’s Mountain in New England last year.  I am smiling as I type with the realisation that the continuity of vintages appeals to a desire on my part to catalogue and collect.  The 2011 vintage of Topper’s Mountain’s nebbiolo – grown at 900m altitude in northerly New England (north of the Hunter Valley) – has aromatics of cherry, blood plum, rose petal, cedar and, at times, a very light earthy note.  The palate takes some time to express itself, its best expression requiring food.  Food seems to draw out the wine’s acidity, where otherwise the palate has very rounded light flavours of cherry and plum.  The tannins are walking to heel for a nebbiolo.  This is a balanced release that is ready to drink now.

Rating: Good, Abv: 12.8%, Price: $38, Source: sample, Vendors: http://www.wine-searcher.com/, Website: http://toppers.com.au, Tasted: 2014