RONGO WINES / Strathbogie Ranges/Yarra Valley

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In Japanese, Rongo refers to the Analects of Confucius, a masterwork of philosophy that has guided East Asian culture and thought for more than 2,500 years. It stands, at heart, for living benevolently, ethically, and in harmony with one’s surroundings.

In Māori, Rongo is a verb meaning to perceive, to hear, feel, smell, and taste. Through no coincidence, is also the nickname of Rongo-mā-Tāne, the Māori god of Agriculture and Peace.

Ray Chen’s nascent label feels like it’s hit a stride with this set of releases; there’s a consistent theme running through the wines of texture and detail, and a tonne of personality and originality.  These wines are a nexus of classical and lofi winemaking sensibilities, adventurous and squeaky clean.

Ray’s multi-national upbringing sees the wines informed by Asian/eastern dining – the possibilities for creative matching with this lineup are immense.

 

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  • Rongo Reflections Riesling 2025

     $ 35.00 incl. GST

    From the Elgo vineyard in Strathbogie.  The wine sits seven days on skins after crushing, with free run juice drawn into stainless steel for cool fermentation.  The wine sits in tank on gross lees for six months, and is unfined and unfiltered prior to bottling.  After a couple of bone-dry releases, this is back to a little residual sugar (around 10g/L) and looking superb for it – unashamedly Germanic, influenced by the skin contact techniques of Rebholz to build texture.

    Lavendar, lemons, white flowers lead the nose, around a little reductive note, a touch of spritz.  Plenty going on in the palate, beautifully textured with a zing of phenolic grip and a rock salt saline edge to balance out the RS.  Exotic – yellow fruits, preserved lemon, finger limes, grapefruit, great energy and length.

  • Rongo Rhapsody Skin Contact 2025

     $ 35.00 incl. GST

    100% Riesling from the Elgo vineyard in Strathbogie, given 30 days of skin contact.  Fermented in neutral barrels, then rested a further six months in neutral oak and naturally stabilized, unfined and unfiltered with sulphur the only addition.

    Pours the right golden copper shade.  Savoury aromatics – sandalwood, ginger, curry leaf, and a spectrum of herbal teas.  Similar impressions in the mouth, again savoury with a saline edge and a pleasing swathe of tannins, firm and forgivingly ripe.  Well composed and accessible with enough ‘orange wine’ character for purists.

  • Rongo Rhea Syrah 2023

     $ 35.00 incl. GST

    From a single vineyard in Gruyere (Yarra Valley), hand harvested and fermented wild with 20% whole bunches.  Aged in neutral oak for 10 months before bottling, unfined and unfiltered.

    Black flavours here – cloves, olive tapenade, black plums blackberry, juniper.  There’s a twiggy quality to the wine, a big tip of the hat to Northern Rhône.  Closes with fine, ripe and succulent tannins, the tiniest lick of tar and pepper on the finish.

  • Rongo Prelude Aglianico 2025

     $ 35.00 incl. GST

    Grown in Chalmers’ Merbein vineyard.  Wild fermented and aged six months in neutral oak, with gentle extraction techniques to tame what can be the bony tannins of this variety.  Made to be served chilled.

    Both cooked and fresh raspberries, pomegranate, and a feeling of old-school confectionary: wine gums, cola bottles, Red Ripperz (formerly known as Redskins).  Bright fruit is balanced by a medicinal bittering edge, think cough lolly impressions.  Fine tannins give depth, a refreshing though unmistakably vinous expression of chilled red.  Big tick.

  • Rongo Reverie Rose 2025

     $ 35.00 incl. GST

    90% Syrah and 10% Viognier, grown in Gruyere (Yarra Valley), co-fermented naturally and raised six months in neutral oak.  The Viognier is given extra maceration for increased texture.

    Several hours’ skin contact delivers a dark ruby shade.  Complex aromatics; twigs, raspberries and strawberries, a strawberry yoghurt note also.  A fruit driven palate: plums, forest berries, blackberry jubes.  Has a decent thread of tannin which may push it ideologically to more a chilled red rather than rosé for some, but whatever you call it, it’s pretty tasty.