Babo

Deliciousness and Great Value from Our Man in Italia

It’s hard not to get over-excited about the wines from this talented producer—they offer such deliciousness, value and drinkability. The Babo range delivers the afore-mentioned qualities in spades, while still maintaining superb classicism. They taste like the places they come from, but with a purity and balance that is a rare find at these price levels.

The man behind the label is the talented Justin Bubb (today also known for his work in Tasmania, with his wife Anna Pooley at Pooley Vineyards). Justin cut his winemaking teeth working in Chianti and it was during his time in this region, working for a large company, that he realised he had an opportunity to produce some great value Italian wine for his home market. And so, Babo was born.

The Chianti captures plenty of the region’s trademark sour cherry tang: it’s just a delicious, fresh red that Justin aptly describes as a “Beaujolais from Italy”.

But really, the story is just that, a story. The key here is the quality that we find in the glass. They are simply terrific and unbelievably fairly priced. While every wine in the range over-delivers in terms of quality and value, three key wines deserve a callout.

With just 10 g/L residual—the lowest possible for Extra Dry—we’ve seen Babo’s Prosecco go from strength to strength in recent years. Most Prosecco consumed in Australia clocks in at around 17 g/L, making this both drier and more intense than many other examples out there. The Pinot Grigio is sourced from San Martino al Tagliamento in Friuli. Pinot Grigio from Friuli generally has more fleshy layers than, say, those from Veneto and Trentino, a feature Justin Bubb underscores by allowing some skin contact in the press. Then there’s a delightful, vibrant Chianti. Quality fruit—sourced from Vinci (near Empoli) from a south-west facing vineyard—and partial carbonic maceration elevate this to a status that far exceeds what you’d normally expect at this price point. It was also the first Chianti, as far as we know, to be bottled under screwcap and to be offered in a Burgundy-shaped bottle.

The Range

Babo Pinot Grigio 2023
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Babo Pinot Grigio 2023

Friuli, in the far northeast of Italy, has a justified rep for making the country's best white wines. “The key to this region is the difference in diurnal temperature,” Justin Bubb explains. “In the growing season, the days are very warm, but the nights are freezing. This allows nice, long ripening and wonderful aromatics for the white wines.” So, it’s good news that Babo’s Pinot Grigio is sourced from this region—specifically from two sites in San Martino al Tagliamento, near Pordenone. The vineyards are over 30 years old and sit at the base of the Alps. The soils are a mix of clay and alpine gravel from alluvial deposits.Pinot Grigio from Friuli generally has more fleshy layers than, say, those from Veneto and Trentino. Justin underscores this by allowing 10 hours of skin contact in the press. Fermentation is in steel tanks, and the wine remains on lees for six months before bottling. A far cry from the one-dimensional wines that crowd the market, it’s crisp, fresh, compact and bright, awash with pithy citrus flavours, lovely texture and a mouth-watering, tangy close—a quality example of Italian Grigio at a heck of a price.

Babo Pinot Grigio 2023
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Babo Chianti 2022
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Babo Chianti 2022

Cheap Chianti can be all kinds of wrong, but this deliciously juicy, medium-bodied Tuscan red is crazy good value. As far as we know, this was the first Chianti to be bottled under screwcap and offered in a Burgundy-shaped bottle (of course, others have now followed). Quality fruit from a southwest-facing vineyard on alberese soils in Vinci (near Empoli) elevates this to a status far exceeding what you’d typically expect at this price point. The winemaking takes two paths. The first parcel ferments as bunches (fully carbonic) and is raised in concrete vats for six months. The second parcel is destemmed and matures in concrete for eight months. The approach captures plenty of Chianti’s trademark sour cherry tang combined with vibrant floral notes and dried-herb savouriness. Fine, juicy and eminently drinkable, it’s another brilliant release that fits winemaker Justin Bubb’s favoured description for this wine: “Beaujolais from Italy”.

Babo Chianti 2022
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Babo Soave 2022
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Babo Soave 2022

The follow-up to Babo’s superb inaugural release, the 2022 Soave is predominantly Garganega, with a small parcel of Trebbiano di Soave. Both varieties are sourced from vineyards in Bardolino and Valpolicella with volcanic soils and elevations ranging from 40 to 120 metres. The dry summer conditions in 2022 led to an earlier-than-usual harvest, and though yields were down, Justin Bubb tells us the fruit quality was exceptional. After a gentle press and short maceration on skins to bring more texture and complexity, the juice fermented in stainless steel tanks, followed by six months’ maturation on light lees. Soave’s long road to redemption is well under way, and now Babo has joined the fray. It’s another delicately delicious white: juicy and vibrant, full of citrus and flowers with touches of salt and wax and a lovely bright finish. Like all Babo's wines, it’s versatile and perfect for a crowd. It drinks well as an aperitif, but shellfish pasta or roasted asparagus (with plenty of Parmesan) would be our go-to.

Babo Soave 2022
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Babo Langhe Nebbiolo 2021
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Babo Langhe Nebbiolo 2021

The latest wine from Justin Bubb and the Babo team is a Langhe Nebbiolo, sourced from vineyards near the famed town of Castiglione Falletto. The sites mainly face southwest between 300 and 400 metres above sea level. The 2021 vintage came with challenges: spring frosts affected yields, and the summer months were warm, but the fruit quality at the end of the season was fantastic. The fruit was handpicked, destemmed and macerated for about a week with twice-daily pumpovers. To preserve freshness and bright red-fruit appeal, the wine matured in concrete tanks for just a short period.Babo’s knack for wines of bright, easy-going charm is writ large over this Langhe Nebbiolo. It’s a fantastic addition to this brilliant range. Dusty floral notes and bright, pure red berry fruits join subtle earth and spice notes on the complex nose. The palate is just as good: juicy with firm but open tannins and an easy, drink-me-now appeal.

“Red fruits, and really quite dusty and peppery, along with some floral notes. It’s medium-bodied, tannin has a gentle chew to it, and a whole lot of dusty spice cupboard character, but it’s fresh ,with some cranberry crunch to acidity, and a dry and gently ferrous finish of solid length. It’s maybe picked on the cusp of ripeness, though it does have energy and plenty of character. Lively. Good to drink. Frisky!”
90 points, Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
Babo Langhe Nebbiolo 2021
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Babo Rosato 2021
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Babo Rosato 2021

This Tuscan Rosato is crafted from 100% Sangiovese sourced from a vineyard near Vinci on the western flank of the Chianti region. The soils are compact clay and limestone, alberese in the local vernacular. Winemaker Justin Bubb prefers the Sangiovese Grosso clone for his Rosato, favouring its more restrained fruit profile and savoury nuance. The fruit spends two to four hours on skins before fermenting and six months’ maturation on fine lees in concrete tanks.Expect a textural, punchy, crisp Italian rosé with a delightful palate of silky berries and a dab of spice, with lovely savoury support and closing with a mouth-watering cherry skin bite. If you can get your hands on some Finocchiona, all the better.

Babo Rosato 2021
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Babo Nero d'Avola 2020
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Babo Nero d'Avola 2020

Nero d’Avola’s reputation might have tracked Sicily’s wine renaissance, but this wasn’t always the case. Historically, this grape was considered rustic, thanks to the many chunky, musclebound wines it produced. As Justin Bubb states: “Most of the time, I found that Nero d'Avola in Sicilia was made in this really ripe, high-octane style and the wines lacked freshness and punch.” Hence, Babo’s Nero is sourced from Sambuca di Sicilia, near Menfi, where the north-facing, fossil-rich soils and cooling influence of the sea and nearby Lake Arancio tend to produce a more subtle, spicy style of Nero d'Avola—without betraying the wine’s traditional Mediterranean generosity. Picked around 13 Baumé, the fruit was destemmed—with lots of whole berries remaining in the ferment—and fermented in small one-tonne fermenters. Extraction was gentle, and the wine was pressed off skins after 12 days to mature for 10 months in large-format French oak (2,000-litre) before bottling. Despite the warm conditions, Justin Bubb has stayed true to the Babo style and delivered a Nero of depth and spice buoyed by fresh fruit and flowers and framed by vibrant structure. Sold.

Babo Nero d'Avola 2020
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Country

Italy

Primary Region

Multi-Regional

People

Winemaker: Justin Bubb

Availability

National

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