Vivid crimson in the glass and the nose is a bowl full of ripe blackberries, dried cherries, and tree bark. The acidity is mild and even still the wine is bright and lively on the attack. A dash of black pepper upfront, good depth of fruit, brown spices, medium-full body, tannins totally resolved – a juicy and extroverted wine and an absolute pleasure.

20% whole cluster fermentation in open topped bins, with no additions other than moderate SO2 at bottling. Low-impact pumpovers and cool fermentation temperatures ensured gentle extraction. 13 months in neutral French oak, racked once, bottled unfined and unfiltered.