Awards and Accolades

92 Points - Campbell Mattinson, Wine Front
"I’m a bit taken aback. This has polish, intensity, length and charm, and it’s only $16. It’s a gorgeous sangiovese. It’s cherried and nutty and gently spicy, and while it flows with easy-going flavour it has enough tension to give it focus, and lend drama. $16. It’s outrageous value. You won’t find anything close to its quality anywhere near this price. If ever there was a case for buying by the dozen …”

Special Value Wine - James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion
"86% sangiovese, 5% cabernet sauvignon, 5% durif, 4% merlot, 86% from the King Valley, 9% Yarra Valley and 5% Heathcote, most parcels given 14 days on skins, matured for 9 months in used oak. The complex vinification (and post-fermentation and maturation blending) produced a brightly coloured wine, with sangiovese not forced to go into hiding behind its blend mates."

From the Winery

This range of wines celebrates both the natural beauty of the King Valley and the vibrancy and innovation of this emerging wine region. Bella Riva in Italian means beautiful riverbank - a fitting description for the spectacular location of De Bortoli’s picturesque vineyards on 3.5 kms of King River frontage.