This is a most impressive example of ‘orange winemaking’. Generally speaking I am a massive fan of Minimalistic, low-intervention winemaking. Within this genre there is orange winemakers. While many wines in this style can be very confronting and pretty awful, occasionally one finds quite remarkable wines. Taras Ochota was such a talented winemaker that he could walk that line between brilliance and disaster. Minimalist winemaking at its finest. A tribute to Taras Ochota’s last vintage.
A Grenache sourced from 72 year old dry grown bush vines on the Blewitt Springs ridge above McLaren Vale. The bush vines are north facing sitting in a complex soil of red clay infused heavily with ironstone and gravel. The handpicked tiny berries produced a miniscule yield from a super vintage. The resulting wine displays an orange-red hue. Tremendous complexities on the nose with a fragrance of wild herbs and charcuterie that is underpinned by raspberry and spices. Taut and compact, with redcurrants and Satsuma plum – even blood orange. It really fills the mid palate with mouth‐watering red berry intensity. Finely grained tannins direct this svelte, fleshy, and measured weight into an extremely long succulent moreish finish. 96/100
