Sep 11, 2026 – 5.00amWinemaker Alan Varney didn’t set out to produce a multi-vintage, multi-varietal red. But that’s exactly what his latest super-premium, limited-release wine became: 2021 nebbiolo blended with 2022 sagrantino and 2023 montepulciano. It’s called Triplo and it messes deliciously with all sorts of wine rules and expectations.“It started with me thinking about how tannic nebbiolo can be,” says Varney. “Especially in the cooler climate of the Adelaide Hills, where I source my nebbiolon grapes, it produces red wine that can take years to soften. Initially I thought that maybe adding something richer, like sagrantino, might help.Subscribe to gift this articleGift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe.Subscribe nowAlready a subscriber? Max AllenDrinks columnistMax Allen is The Australian Financial Review's drinks columnist. He is an award-winning journalist and author who has written about wine and drinks for close to 25 years.Fetching latest articles