Delinquente Wine Co. - 'High Crimes BiB' - Albariño, Arinto - AU - 2021 - 1500ml

While the Delinquente wines focus on Southern and Central Italian varieties, the grapes native to the warmer parts of Spain and Portugal and equally as at home in the sun-drenched Riverland. To this end, the Bassham family have planted a portion of their vineyard to an amalgam of hardy Iberian varieties formed to make the 1.5ltr 'High Crimes' white blend. Arinto and Albarino are the pick of the Iberian whites and complement each other incredibly well in a blend. Arinto maintains its highwire acidity through the most glaring of heatwaves, whilst always bringing a structured, layered, complex stone fruit and orchard fruit profile. The Albarino benefitted most from the cooler season, really showcasing its bright lemon/grapefruit citrus and mineral characters, and brings a lovely pop to this blend.

Con-Greg Grigoriou grew up on a vineyard in the Riverland, South Australia, where his father has managed wineries for over 35 years. A few years ago, while working for an advertising agency in Melbourne, he tasted his first truly interesting Riverland wine and something clicked - why weren’t people producing high-quality wines in his home region?
Greg’s idea for Delinquente Wine Co was to take advantage of the Riverland’s small vineyards planted with Southern Italian varieties, which are suited to the region’s dry Mediterranean climate. He sources grapes from trusted growers many of whom he has know his whole life, who work organically. In the cellar Greg takes this organic philosophy forward, all his wines are small-batch and single-vineyard, fermented in stainless steel with wild yeast and without acid adjustments. His aim is to make wine that is pure, drinkable and delicious - or as he would put it, “smashable”. To complete his vision he recruited local Adelaide street artist Ankles to design the edgy, eye-catching labels.
Amid a sea of “Big Wine”, Delinquente has managed to convey a unique aesthetic and clear point of view: fun, uncomplicated and terroir-driven wines that will challenge people’s perception of the Riverland.