Max Allen writes ‘Why you should be drinking this untrendy wine’ in the weekend Australian Financial Review (AFR).
Dessert wines may have fallen out of fashion, but as Max Allen recently reminds readers, their unfashionable status has become an opportunity for curious drinkers. Once reserved for the end of lavish dinners, these wines are now some of the most undervalued bottles in the world. Allen encourages us to “rediscover them,” pointing out that you can “buy and drink sublime dessert wines for (much) less money than basic, entry-level burgundy.”
Among the various styles he explores, Allen highlights one Australian example that captures the beauty and balance of late-harvest winemaking our 2024 Fighting Gully Road Moelleux. He explains that this style comes from leaving grapes on the vine longer, allowing them to “accumulate a little more sugar,” before stopping fermentation early “so not all that sugar has turned to alcohol.”
Drawing inspiration from the moelleux wines of Jurançon in south-west France, which evoke “flavours of overripe late autumn fruit,” Allen names the Fighting Gully Road Moelleux as the local counterpart worth seeking out. His recommendation is clear:
For an Australian example of late-harvested gros manseng, look for the 2024 Fighting Gully Road Moelleux (375ml, $35) from Beechworth.”
With this suggestion, Allen positions the Beechworth-grown gros manseng as a bridge between France’s traditional late-harvest wines and Australia’s growing reputation for expressive, high-quality dessert styles.
Allen’s mention of the Fighting Gully Road Gros Manseng is more than just a tasting note – it’s a call to reappraise wines that have quietly persisted outside the spotlight. As dessert wines remain “criminally undervalued,” bottles like this moelleux offer exceptional quality and pleasure at a very modest price. In rediscovering them, we not only revive a neglected wine style but also reward ourselves with something genuinely special — golden, mellow, and unmistakably satisfying.
Read Max Allen’s full article here.