Travis Tausend ‘Nanna & Pa’ Pinot Noir 2019

Location: Australia, Adelaide Hills

Winemaker: Travis Tausend

Grapes: Pinot Noir

Winemaking: for all of Travis’ wines, the grapes are crushed via manual basket press, with manual destemming of the grapes; always spontaneous fermentation, no pumpovers, zero fining or filtration and zero added sulphur.

From us at M&L: ‘Nanna & Pa’ is Australian Pinot at its very wild essence—electric acidity, thrumming liquid cherry fruits, lime candy and wet earth. Serve chilled with grass between your toes.

From Travis Tausend: I see winemaking as an art. The wines that I make have emotion, intuition and energy that has flowed through me at the time of making them. For this reason, the wines will always be different, not only due to vintage variations from year to year, but also the changes and growth within me as a winemaker and person. I hope you find as much pleasure in drinking them as I do in the making.

I am interested in the history of the land, the environmental flow, the cultural resonance and the spiritual weight that weave a narrative into the vineyard. With that history comes a responsibility to care for the land allowing future generations to find it in better condition than when we found it.

I keep this in mind when tending to the vines and am intrigued to learn more from the traditional and rightful custodians of this place, the Peramangk people. Immersing ourselves in an intimate history of our place can only help shape a unique understanding of our responsibility as carers for this land. This deep knowledge and knowing of place will help to inform how I tell this story through the medium of wine.

My history as a winemaker is short in practice but vast in learning and shaping of ideas. I have been involved in natural wine in some way since 2005. I have been moulding my opinion, my palate, perspective and an understanding of what makes me smile when I taste a wine. I bring all of that to every decision that is made in the growing and making of the wines.

I dearly hope that when the wines are opened they are surrounded by good humour, great conversation and fun. After all, that is what they are there for.