A hallmark of the Utopos Vineyard on Roennfeldt Road is the pitch perfect acid/ tannin balance we can achieve in fully ripened fruit. This provides for delicious, highly approachable wines in their youth, whilst enabling them to develop over a 10-15 year period, and maybe more. Following three particularly dry periods, the winter and spring leading into 2022 witnessed a welcome return to above average rainfall. Depleted sub surface moisture levels were replenished. A late October hailstorm passed to the South of the Utopos vineyard the vineyard. Further proof that this location seems blessed by higher powers than the vigneron! The vineyard produced a healthy canopy and set a good even crop. A dry and warm summer was capped by a large pre harvest rain event at the end of February providing a moment of relief for the vines before a drier than average autumn and harvest season. Overall the growing and harvest seasons experienced moderate weather conditions with no dramatic heat spikes. The crop ripened slowly and evenly, producing wines of structure and elegance with depth and length of flavour. In my view, perhaps the strongest vintage to date for Utopos.
This wine is a construct of fruit harvested from the best Shiraz blocks (harvested on the 24th of March) of the Utopos vineyard that varies substantially in aspect – with blocks facing all points of the compass – and soil composition across an undulating landscape. In particular, the sandy heavy red loam soils intersected with black cracking clays that are the feature of the south eastern block bring incredible complexity to a wine that abounds with red and black fruits, and touches of mocha. After a 5 day cold soak period, the fruit was allowed to gradually warm to kick off a slow ferment over 7 days on skins with twice daily pumpovers before being pressed off to seasoned French 4,600 litre foudres for 18 months, alongside a smaller selection of new and seasoned French hogsheads (maximum 3rd use). The final blend saw a small addition of around 3% utopos cabernet sauvignon and 3% Mataro.
Deep black in the glass with a magenta rim. There are dark, savoury fruits on the nose along with beguiling touches of aniseed, red licorice and eucalypt. Along the long and intense palate there is a beautiful balance of dark spiced fruits framed by long fine tannins. This is a classic expression of site from a great vintage – a realisation of the real potential of Barossa Valley Shiraz to exhibit intensity and generosity without losing focus and form.
This will really hit the mark as a 10 year old, and kick on for another decade after that.
