A New Rouge - And it is a Cracker from the 2021 Vintage
Our Ceramic Egg
As many of you would be aware, we have had a number of Ceramic Eggs that have passed through the winery over the last 5 or 6 years. They are historical in design (eggs have been used since the foundation of wine production in Georgia more than 8000 years ago), modern in build (ceramic), and probably just a touch to delicate for us. Just one has survived, Bert.
Each year we ferment and mature the wine on skins. One batch of grapes, hand-picked. The resulting wine is its own wine, bright, unencumbered by oak, wine in a very pure form. And we love it. Each year, we end up with about 400 bottles of Rouge, this year, like the 2022 to follow, it is 100% Mataro from the Estate block.
2021 Rouge
Our 2021 Rouge comes from our Certified Organic Estate Block, Block 4, 1948 Mataro plantings.
The essence of Mataro, no additions, low sulphur but pristine Mataro from a wonderful year raised in ‘Bert’, our Ceramic Egg.
2021 Vintage Conditions
The 2021 Barossa Valley vintage will be remembered as an almost faultless season after the challenging years that preceded it. Good spring rains meant that for the first time in many years we entered the growing season with good soil moisture levels. A warm dry growing season followed, with balanced and healthy canopies producing an average crop of extremely high quality fruit.
Certainly the best in a decade, maybe longer. The good news is that flavours and colours (in reds) and overall quality is exceptional. A truly great Barossa vintage in the making.
How does the 2021 Rouge Taste?
A ‘natural’ wine made with minimal additions that carries the hallmarks of our old vine fruit. This wine is bright, lifted red berries, light to medium bodied supported by fine tannins. The incredible 2021 vintage is on show in this wine. Drink now or in the next 5 years.
Rouge and Food
The 2021 Rouge drinks beautifully on its own, but is a wow wine with Indian, Southern Asian and Middle Eastern Food. There is something about the low oxygen’ environment in the egg (coupled with long skin contact) that makes the wine so incredibly food friendly. Give it a try, you will love it.
‘The Winemonster’ by Wendy Dixon-Whiley 2021