Freeman Rondinella Rosé ‘Rondo’ Altura Vineyard 2025

Freeman Vineyards is a boutique family-owned winery in the Hilltops region of New South Wales, renowned for its Italian-inspired wines and pioneering spirit. Founded in 1999 by Dr. Brian Freeman, a former head of wine science at Charles Sturt University. Brian transitioned from academia to winemaking, bringing deep viticultural expertise to the Hilltops region. Situated in Prunevale, Hilltops, at 560 metres above sea level, the vineyard benefits from cool nights and sunny days during ripening, deep granite soils mixed with red silt, sand from central Australia and well-drained terrain, ideal for growing high-quality grapes.

Freeman Vineyards is Australia’s only producer of the northern Italian grape varieties Rondinella and Corvina, used in their flagship Secco. Other Italian varietals include Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Aleatico, Prosecco, Fiano, Pinot Grigio, and an obscure varietal for Australia, Furmint. Their priority is well crafted wines with a focus on textural complexity, balance, and food-friendliness.

Dr Brian Freeman spent much of his life in research and education, in the latter with a role as head of CSU’s viticulture and oenology campus. In ’04 he purchased the neighbouring 30yo Demondrille vineyard, renamed Altura vineyard. He has since acquired several other vineyards within a 10km radius, all adding to the original Hilltops estate. In all, he has 27 varieties that range from staples such as shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, semillon and riesling through to more exotic varieties such as furmint and Italian varieties prosecco, pinot grigio, sangiovese, nebbiolo, rondinella and corvina. -JAMES HALLIDAY

Freeman Rondo Rosé is crafted from 100% estate grown Rondinella grapes, Australia’s only plantings of this prolific variety that produce a dry, savoury style inspired by the rose wines of Europe. Meaning ‘little swallow’ in Italian, Rondinella is a versatile and generous bearing variety that relishes its adopted home in the Hilltops where at sunset swallows dart and swoop over the vines that gave this wine its name. Rondinella is a late ripener, typically harvested two months after the other varieties, in late April. This long, slow and even ripening is the key to its fresh persistent flavours and fine tannin structure. Made using the classic saignee method, draining the juice after a short time in contact with the grape skins, this palest pink, spicy rose displays a dry creamy palate with refreshing minerality balanced by soft tannins.

The Real Review

Freeman Rondo Rose – 95 / 100 Points

“Medium to pale onion-skin blush in the glass. Nectarine, wood oil and orange rind on the nose. Very slippery across the palate, flows with drive and intensity and finishes very long. It’s more about texture than flavour, acids and phenolics are there and working behind the scenes. A contrast to so many rosés yet so easy to enjoy..

– Stuart Knox

The Wine Companion

Freeman Rondo Rose 2024 – 92 / 100 Points

“Super refreshing and savoury with just a hint of red fruits. Potpourri, orange rind and the usual Angostura bitters. It’s dry and has a slip of texture. It’s a very good rosé, yet given the Italian variety and theme, maybe it should be called rosato. Cin cin…

– Jane Faulkner/strong>