Konpira Maru Mt Midoryama Classic Edition Pet Nat 2026

OK so... we used to call this our party pet nat, which was kind of lame, but also kind of accurate. This resulted from the power of 20% Chardonnay we used to add to the mix. Then we moved to the 100% Dolcetto route, because after changing vineyards a couple of years ago the brambly nectarine gold of the Dolcetto was too great to mess with! Now with a few riper vintages and a tad more experience with the fruit, we picked the Dolcetto slightly earlier and then topped with 10% high elevation Chardonnay from our vinous home in the Whitlands.

This is a sparkling rosé that's as fresh as swimming in the ocean once you get past your belly button but serious enough to be that little bit Dame Judy Dench: saline, fruity and more than a little bit sexy. Konpira Maru

The Details
Variety - Dolcetto, Chardonnay
Country - Australia
Region - Victoria
Sub Region - King Valley
Extra - Crown Seal
Year - 2026
Volume - 750ml

Konpira Maru started, as many great concepts do, as an idea born from two mates having a beer at the pub. Working in the retail, production and education sectors of the wine industry for many years, Alastair Reed and Sam Cook were searching for their own
creative outlet. Sharing similar viticultural, winemaking and beer-drinking values, they set out on a vinous journey and from these humble beginnings, produced the first vintage in 2014, which resulted in just 600 bottles.

The goal was simple – to produce wines that were both full of character and with a high drinkability factor; and also to inject a littlefun back into an industry often accused of taking itself too seriously. With their memorable labels and irrepressible attitudes, the pair
are quickly becoming must-haves on the natural wine circuit. All ferments use only natural yeasts. With little to no use of oak thesewines are all about fruit purity and transparency.

No adjustments are made throughout vinification, save for a very small amount of
sulphur at bottling, and even then only if deemed necessary. Wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered. Working closely with their crew of dedicated growers and now spanning regions as diverse as South Burnett, the Granite Belt and Kilmore, along with their organically farmed self-managed Whitlands vineyards in the Victorian high country, Konpira Maru’s star is seriously on the rise.

Each and every release over the past few years has seen Al and Sam take big steps forward; getting to know the vineyards better is yielding a deeper understanding of how to best express these sites, and constantly refining their craft in the winery is translating to
wines of greater purity and balance. These are undeniably joyous wines but with a serious and contemporary edge. The aim is tomake interesting wines with minimal intervention and maximum care. The results are nothing less.