Latta Vino

Coghills Creek may seem like a strange place to find a generational winemaker of the talent of Owen Latta but it just may be that the site is responsible for his entire direction. In the early 80s the Eastern Peake vineyard was planted by the Latta family after being identified by Mount Langi Ghiran chief winemaker, Trevor Mast as an ideal site for growing premium quality Pinot Noir, specifically for sparkling wine base. It’s a cool site, at elevation, nearby a body of water (minimising frost risk) and subsistent of duplex soils consisting of clay loam basalt over fine iron stone. It is a flat relief between fertile undulations and was the first of the wineries to find its home in the area. 

The uncovering and subsequent planting of the site was somewhat visionary, the entire premise of the vineyard is extremely thorough site selection tied into varietal needs. It’s no wonder that with Owen branching out to establish his own brand, LATTA VINO that its core concept is that of sourcing alternate varietals from little know plantings in sub regions of Western Victoria, regions he has come to know and respect greatly through his formative years as a local vigneron. It’s also no surprise that his winemaking is predominantly minimal intervention and aims to frame the character created by said sites.

Since 2012 Owen has released a plethora of wines, all in small quantities, all wildly interesting and most importantly, all precisely executed. The range is inspired by terroir and sees multiple site expressions of the same varietals. For the most part the wines are guided rather than worked and oft likened in winemaking to their old world counterparts. 

The Sauvignon Blanc for instance are made in a manner that would be considered typical in the more serious parts of the Loire, wild fermented on gross lees in old wood, minimal lees interaction, relying instead on the natural convection of the wines to unlock texture. Where possible the use of So2 is eliminated but the mindfulness to create clean ex- pressions means that in some case minimal amounts are introduced. For a few of the wines experimentation is perhaps pushing the friendship where minimal intervention is concerned, one in particular comes within the crosshairs, the exceedingly delicious and unendingly delicious Precarious 02 Bianco which is a conferment of SB, CH, Viognier, Pinot Noir and gewurtz, it’s got bunches of gewurtz, pressings of Chard, free run Pinot noir. 

Its wild fermented, partial matured in old wood, partially in stainless steel. It could easily be a confused melange of all sorts but instead it is a wine of vast complexity, tied together perfectly by precise acidity and fine but persistent phenolics. Nothing added but the tini- est addition of So2 at bottling. Thought provoking stuff really, is it natural, is it minimal intervention or is it edging toward the progressive side of conventional, my thought is that it cannot be pigeon holed by any of these monikers and is infact an expression of the man behind it and the vineyards it has come from. Perhaps it is ‘the’ wine of Western Victoria.

Ultimately Owen’s wines are calculated creativity, respectful of traditional style and terrior but also mindful of modernity.