2026 Little Reddie Nebbiolo Super Juice – Heathcote - 94 Points

🍒 DANGER ALERT! THIS WINE IS RIDICULOUSLY DRINKABLE. NEBBIOLO LIKE YOU'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE!

94 points - The Wine Front 

2026 LITTLE REDDIE NEBBIOLO SUPER JUICE — HEATHCOTE, VICTORIA

RRP $40 | 100% NEBBIOLO | 12.5% ALCOHOL

Some wines are made for contemplation.

Some wines are made for cellaring.

And then there are wines that are made for one very simple reason.

TO BE ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.

Meet the 2026 Little Reddie Nebbiolo Super Juice.

And believe me, the name couldn't be more appropriate.

Crunchy red cherries.

Fresh strawberries.

Cranberries.

Juicy mulberries.

Rose petals.

Beautifully fragrant, wonderfully supple and so ridiculously drinkable that one bottle is unlikely to be enough.

DANGER ALERT. SERIOUSLY DANGEROUS DRINKING.

This is Nebbiolo, but not as you know it.

Forget the powerful tannins and years of cellaring associated with traditional Barolo.

This is the fun-loving, chilled-out, completely irresistible side of one of Italy's greatest grape varieties.

PUT IT IN THE FRIDGE FOR 20–30 MINUTES. OPEN IT. POUR IT. ENJOY.

It's that simple.

Patrick Underwood — One of Central Victoria's Most Interesting Winemakers

Here's something you might not know about Little Reddie.

The man behind the label is Patrick Underwood.

And he's one of the most thoughtful and adventurous winemakers working in Central Victoria.

The Little Reddie story began in 2012, when Patrick made a tiny barrel of Shiraz in a backyard in Castlemaine.

From those modest beginnings, he has developed a fascinating range of wines from carefully selected vineyards across Central Victoria.

His approach is anything but conventional.

He works closely with growers, selects fruit according to each vineyard's individual character and adapts his winemaking to suit the grapes.

And Nebbiolo has become something of an obsession.

PATRICK HAS EXPERIMENTED WITH DOZENS OF DIFFERENT EXPRESSIONS OF NEBBIOLO OVER THE YEARS.

From structured, serious reds to beautifully delicate rosés and wonderfully juicy, lighter styles.

But Super Juice might just be the most immediately irresistible of them all.

Here's Something Most People Wouldn't Know — Inspired by Italy's Pelaverga

This is where the story becomes particularly interesting.

Although Super Juice is made entirely from Nebbiolo, Patrick has selected clones that offer a particularly aromatic and delicate expression of the variety.

The inspiration is partly the wonderful red wines made from Pelaverga, a relatively obscure grape variety from Piedmont in northern Italy.

Pelaverga can produce some extraordinarily fragrant wines.

Wild strawberries.

Red cherries.

Rose petals.

Delicate spice.

And beautifully light, supple textures.

Patrick wanted to capture a similar personality using Nebbiolo grown in Victoria.

ALL THE PERFUME. ALL THE FRESHNESS. WITHOUT THE HEAVY TANNINS.

And the result is absolutely delicious.

The Vineyard — Heathcote's Iron-Rich Soils

The fruit comes from Heathcote in Central Victoria.

Heathcote is famous for its powerful Shiraz, but the region also has tremendous potential for Italian grape varieties.

Its distinctive iron-rich soils and varied vineyard sites can produce Nebbiolo with beautiful fruit concentration, aromatic intensity and natural structure.

For Super Juice, Patrick takes that potential in a completely different direction.

Rather than chasing maximum extraction, he focuses on freshness, perfume and drinkability.

The result is a wine that retains Nebbiolo's distinctive character while delivering a wonderfully light and energetic palate.

The Winemaking — This Is Absolutely Fascinating

Here's where Super Juice gets particularly clever.

PATRICK DOESN'T SIMPLY PICK ALL THE NEBBIOLO AND FERMENT IT TOGETHER.

Instead, he uses a carefully considered two-stage approach.

First, Nebbiolo from Willoughby Bridge is harvested early.

The fruit is directly pressed to produce a pale, fresh, free-run rosé.

That rosé begins fermenting and becomes the starter for the next stage.

Then a later-picked parcel of Nebbiolo, including the aromatic CVT230 clone, is destemmed.

The fermenting rosé is introduced to this fruit, encouraging fermentation.

The wine is allowed to ferment undisturbed before being pressed into stainless steel, with further rosé added.

Patrick then deliberately exposes the wine to oxygen early in its development before transferring it to seasoned French oak puncheons.

This carefully managed oxygen exposure helps shape the wine's tannin structure and texture.

And here's the final detail.

ONLY THE MOST AROMATIC AND BEAUTIFULLY SUPPLE BARRELS MAKE THE FINAL SUPER JUICE BLEND.

The wine is bottled without additions or filtration.

The result?

PURE, FRAGRANT, JUICY NEBBIOLO WITH AN ABSOLUTELY IRRESISTIBLE PERSONALITY.

The 2026 Vintage — Crunchy Cherries, Strawberries and Pure Deliciousness

The 2026 release is particularly exciting.

Patrick has produced a more delicate expression than previous vintages.

And that's exactly what makes it so compelling.

The fruit is beautifully fragrant.

The palate is wonderfully supple.

And the alcohol sits at a very comfortable 12.5%.

The official distributor describes a wine bursting with crunchy red cherries, cranberries, strawberries and mulberries.

There's plenty of freshness, fine tannin and vibrant red-fruit flavour.

But absolutely none of the heaviness.

THIS IS A WINE THAT'S ALL ABOUT THE NEXT GLASS.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Bright, translucent ruby red with youthful vibrancy.

Aromas: Crunchy red cherries, wild strawberries, cranberries, rose petals and delicate floral spice.

Palate: Juicy and wonderfully energetic, with fresh cherries, raspberries, strawberries and mulberries.

Texture: Light, silky and beautifully supple.

Tannins: Fine and delicate, providing just enough structure without overwhelming the fruit.

Acidity: Fresh, lively and mouth-watering.

Finish: Bright, refreshing and bursting with crunchy red-fruit character.

LIGHT. FRAGRANT. JUICY. ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS.

Serve It Chilled — Trust Me

Here's my advice.

DON'T SERVE THIS AT WARM ROOM TEMPERATURE.

Give it 20–30 minutes in the fridge before opening.

Ideally, serve it around 12–14°C.

The slight chill accentuates the wine's wonderful red-fruit freshness and makes it even more refreshing.

It's the perfect red for spring, summer, barbecues and relaxed afternoons with friends.

And because it's only 12.5% alcohol, it has a wonderfully light and easygoing feel.

What Should You Eat With It?

Honestly?

PIZZA.

A great Margherita pizza with fresh basil and mozzarella would be magnificent.

But it's also brilliant with charcuterie, antipasti, grilled chicken, roast vegetables, mushroom pizza or a simple plate of salami and cheese.

This is the ultimate wine for casual entertaining.

No decanter.

No elaborate ceremony.

Just good food, good company and another glass.

Why You'll Love It

• 100% Nebbiolo from Heathcote, Victoria

• Crafted by Patrick Underwood of Little Reddie

• Inspired by the fragrant, delicate character of Italian Pelaverga

• A wonderfully light, juicy, chilled-red style

• Distinctive two-stage fermentation using early-picked Nebbiolo rosé

• Later-picked aromatic CVT230 Nebbiolo clone

• Matured in seasoned French oak puncheons

• Only the most fragrant and supple barrels selected

• Bottled without additions or filtration

• Crunchy cherry, strawberry, cranberry and mulberry flavours

• Beautiful rose-petal perfume

• Fine tannins and refreshing acidity

• Just 12.5% alcohol

• Absolutely brilliant served lightly chilled

• RRP $40

The Liquid Vibe Verdict

I absolutely love wines like this.

And I think Australia needs more of them.

Not every red wine needs to be enormous, powerful and designed to spend fifteen years in a cellar.

Sometimes you just want something that tastes absolutely fantastic.

Something you can put in the fridge, open with friends and enjoy without thinking too hard about it.

And that's exactly what Patrick Underwood has created.

2026 LITTLE REDDIE NEBBIOLO SUPER JUICE.

Crunchy cherries.

Wild strawberries.

Rose petals.

Beautiful freshness.

And a wonderfully supple palate.

RRP $40.

DANGER ALERT — THIS IS THE SORT OF WINE WHERE ONE BOTTLE VERY QUICKLY BECOMES TWO.

CHILL IT. POUR IT. WATCH IT DISAPPEAR.