Blankbottle Retirement @ 65 2022

TASTING NOTES

"Retirement at 65? Let's hope that's not in Pieter Walser's plans, so that he can go on making wines like this Darling assemblage of Cinsault with Syrah. Fermented with around 50% whole bunches, this is "almost a field blend", with plum, bramble and red berry fruit, lots of zip and minerality and sinewy tannins. 2024-29" Tim Atkin, MW

From winemaker, Pieter Walsh: “When it came to the harvest of 2022, we decided to pick the Shiraz component a bit earlier than usual. The result: a wine that turned out to be a bit lighter and more perfumy. It compliments the finer aromas of the Cinsaut and amplifies freshness, adding great length. We were therefore able to add much more Shiraz to the blend than ever before – 44% Shiraz and 56% Cinsaut.” The Syrah comes through beautifully on the nose – a crack of black pepper over gentle sage, clove and herbal notes, with some liquorice and berries too. It’s very nicely structured, with focused tannins, sappy notes and a very long, mouthwatering finish. This wine was made for the first time in the vineyard’s 65th year after years of the farmer battling with birds pecking the grapes resulting in rot, or sheep simply eating everything in sight. When the farmer did have a successful harvest the fruit went to one of the larger local wineries. Having been formally retired from service in its 63rd year, Pieter took his chance and snuck in. Several years careful nursing and recuperation farming, plus bird nets and a better fence and here it is – Retirement @ 65.

Vineyard: The bush vine vineyards for both Syrah and Cinsault grow on the slopes of the Darling hills on sandy decomposed granite soil. 204 meters above sea-level.

Winemaking: The grapes were picked at optimal ripeness and cooled overnight to 4 degrees celsius. The next morning the grapes were hand sorted and partially de-stemmed. It fermented in open top fermenters, a combination of de-stemmed grapes and whole bunches. The juice underwent spontaneous fermentation and stayed on the skins for as long as possible. Aged in older oak for 8 months, blended and bottled.

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS