This is our first bottling from the bizarre 2020 vintage, which went from ridiculous to sublime. We had very small crops, early tannin ripeness and picked at low baumé. We avoided disease pressure in a very difficult year for that, and ended up with more transparency and freshness in the fruit than 2019.
This year we were back to a 50:50 mix of skins and whole-bunch ferments. The skins ferment was 72 hours, with light hand-plunging every 12 hours during that time. The wine was pressed at 8 baumé to old puncheons.
The whole-bunch ferment was on skins for 14 days, with carbonic maceration until some light pigeage on days 12 and 13. It was pressed to old puncheons to finish ferment.
Both batches had two months in oak unsulphured. The wine was racked in early May, with minimal filtration and no finings. 40ppm of SO2 was added prior to bottling.
This vintage we focused on prettiness with supporting notes of funk and bunch. There was no shortage of flavour about; it’s an intense year for that but also characterised by high natural acidity – perfect for skinsy styles, which can otherwise become a bit soapy. And of course I’m very pleased with the colour, a perfect match for the new label… - Tim Shand, Punt Road

Lovely and fragrant. Strawberries - flesh, juice and leaf, all leaping from the glass. A hint of tea leaf as well. Striking acidity this year, which only reinforces the brisk nature of this wine, with all its pithy and bitter notes. There is sweet fruit in the core but all around its amaro, hay, leaves and pleasing bitterness. Easy to love, and to enjoy. - Sam Hooper, CellarHand