95 Points - James Suckling
Barossa Valley
With devious intentions he bled to discover the secret for which unlocked his favorite blend. The syrup he found divine yet the recipe unknown and despite all skullduggery we would never tell, for old wood is best to burn, old authors to read, old wine to drink and old friends to trust. We now entrust this secret to you, to share with the oldest of friends for years to come.
The fruit sourced for this special wine come from two premium old vineyard sites in the North Western ranges of the Barossa Valley.
The fruit is hand picked at optimum ripeness and flavour profile ensuring overall balance before being gently destemmed to keep as many whole berries as possible and then open fermented for a minimum of five days with the juice being pumped over the skins twice daily to maximize oxygenation and purity of fermentation. Once the wine is dry it is then gently basket pressed, minimizing the extraction of harsh extractive tannins.
Matured for 18 months in seasoned French oak.
Colour: Almost black with a purple rim.
Aroma: Bold aromas of black olives and ink.
Palate: A dense palate of dark fruits is reined in by refreshing acidity. Savoury, chewy and textural with firm structuring tannin, this is an exercise in power and restraint.