A new label from Austin Black – ex Terra Sancta and now winemaker at Prophet’s Rock with Paul Pujol. This, his side hustle with Pip Clarke, making two wines so far. From their website: “After many years of procrastinating we have finally got off our arses and made our own wines! We are very pleased and a little nervous to introduce you to our first two efforts – 2022 Pinot Noir and 2022 Skins. Both are made in very small quantities, because making wines is bloody expensive”. I’m guessing that Burgundy bottles are also expensive, as the Pinot Noir is packaged in a Bordeaux shaped bottle!
Lateral 2022 Skins is made biodynamically grown Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc from Bannockburn, Central Otago. The two varieties destemmed and fermented together on the skins for a few weeks, before being pressed and aged in old oak barriques for 5 months. Natural fermentation by indigenous yeasts, with no additions apart from a small amount of sulphur prior to bottling. No fining or filtration.
A hazy copper-orange colour in the glass, with vivid aromatics that come bursting from the glass.
Starting with the fruit, there’s orange peel, grapefruit, apricot and cherry; but the ‘skins’ element presents a peach-skin fuzziness, a blanched almond note, and an astringency that could be crushed green herbs, nettle, amaro and lemon barley water. Lashings of fruit tannin and phenolics of course, plus a briney acidity – the palate has great energy and drive. The finish is comes together very well, and is dry and savoury. I liked this the more I chilled it down. 91pts
Lateral 2022 Pinot Noir Using two clones of Pinot Noir (777 and 5) from a vineyard high on the slopes of the Gibbston Valley. The fruit was destemmed, with a few handfuls of stems then added back to the fermenter. A very gentle, cool ferment preserved the pristine clarity of the fruit. The wine was pressed early, before ageing for 7 months in old oak barriques. Natural fermentation and malolactic. No additions apart from minimal sulphur prior to bottling. No fining or filtration.
OK – this one creeps up on you. At room temperature and at first try it is a light, smashable, pretty and fragrant expression – but luckily I put it in the fridge and could only get back to it on Day 3. What a revelation. Served slightly cold, and with enough oxygen ingress to have let this young wine bloom, it was in quite a different place. Pinot should be an ‘aromatic red’ and so it is here. The fragrance is beguiling, showing a cherry-caramel note with cola, raspberry, blood orange and blueberry. A silky texture and with a light drag of fine tannin and lively acidity, there’s sense of contrast and exotic to the palate, with eastern spices, guava and then I get strawberry milkshake (?! – I know..). A fun, but seriously loveable wine. 94pts
