2019 Patrick Sullivan Jumpin Juice Gee-Dub

Region: Warragul < Victoria < Australia

Grapes: Sémillon 

Vineyard/Cellar Stats: Biodynamic farming; whole cluster fermentation; 12.8% ABV

Winemaker: Patrick Sullivan

Patrick Sullivan grew up in the countryside of Victoria in Australia and took off for London at 19, ending up with a job in wine - and experienced his natural wine revelation.  He then returned home to Australia to study wine but dropped out because he didn’t think he would use the information they were teaching.  It all clicked for him when he started working with progressive bioD producer Bill Downie, with whom he learned the value of serious, hardworking viticulture. In 2016, he and his wife Megan took the leap on a property in Gippsland and planted their first vines. He’s making a bit of wine from this fruit now, but is still buying organic or biodynamic fruit from friends and neighbors to make his Jumpin Juice line of experimental natty wines.  Except he doesn’t want to be put in the ‘natural’ camp because he thinks it undersells the most important part  of what he’s doing, which for him is the move AWAY from conventional farming and industrial winemaking (big down under). He also thinks the idea of natural wine downplays the hard work that goes into making  wine without all the smoke and mirrors that conventional producers employ -- is it natural (or easy) to bunch and leaf thin? Probably not. Whatever he calls himself (you do you, Patrick!), we think he’s a poster child for the kind of clean Aussie wines we want to drink - light, fresh and super expressive of their place.  

With Gee-Dub he turns the classic (boring) Aussie white, Sémillon, upside down.  Here, it’s raw and wild (but squeaky clean), sharp with the typical jalapeno spice, tangy with lemon curd and brought together with a kiss of pineapple.  Vibrant, fun, lip-smacking and refreshingly light for Australia - it’s the wine that will disappear instantly at any gathering.