Iggy

Deep, dark red in colour with un-matching varietal perfume, earthy aromas, hints of leather, tobacco, sage, cured meats, and sanguine. Season-derived fresh vibrancy welcomes the palate and further leads onto a broad sensorial journey supported by firm tannin structure, finishing with just the right amount of richness and mouthwatering aftertaste. An extravagant wine that will confidently last two decades or even more with proper cellaring. Decanting 1 hour before is recommended.

Barossa is a place like no other, and we, who call it a ‘workplace’, are the lucky ones. Especially when it comes to old vines. This beloved region has through the years managed to preserve some of the oldest vineyards on the planet that are still being looked after with respect and tender loving care. They truly are living treasures. 

In 2021 I was fortunate enough to be given a chance to make wine from one of these old survivor vineyards planted in 1926. Situated nearby historic hamlet of Light Pass, on a small patch of distinct ‘terra rossa’ soil, these days in custody of Roger Maywald. Needless to say, I felt the pressure to do this precious block of land justice and create a wine that possesses all the eclectic characteristics of the old site, as well as adding that small bit of ‘here and now’, finished off with a smidgen of my own personal fingerprint, of course.

The season 2020/2021, or as many call it ‘vintage of the decade’, was prolonged and mild, which is somewhat rare for Barossa these days, yet very much welcomed. Perfectly ripe fruit was picked by hand on 17th of March and let rest for a day before fully destemmed grapes were put in a fermenting open top vat for a short cold soak. Upon onset of spontaneous fermentation with endemic yeast cap was plunged twice a day with a few pump-overs midway through the fermentation. After 12 days skins were pressed off, wine settled overnight, and then transferred to seasoned 4 French oak barriques, one of them used once before. Young wine went through malo-lactic fermentation naturally and remained maturing in barrels for 2 years without racking before being transferred to a stainless-steel tank for another few months.