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Ochota Barrels

2023

‘The Mark of Cain’

Pinot Meunier   |   Adelaide Hills - Australia
Shelf Talker Spec Sheet Wine Label Bottle Image

About

This is the sixth vintage of ‘The Mark of Cain’, the high-toned, effusive Pinot Meunier named after a punk band whom Taras had played as an opener for. ‘The Mark of Cain’ could be described as simple, but energetic, vocals layered atop a lurching and chaotic rhythm section…that aptly defines this wine. This is one of the oldest Pinot Meunier vineyards in the Adelaide Hills, planted in the Piccadilly Valley in 1985. The dry-farmed vines really provide a great deal of intensity for the delicate aromas and tones. The 2023 vintage was characterized by a particularly cool growing season and harvest to the Adelaide Hills, giving way for perfumed, light bodied wines with great natural acid.

The fruit was hand-picked in early-March and the vast majority of the fruit was destemmed with only a small portion being kept intact. The lots were placed into two one-ton open top fermenters with a few handfuls of stalks and fermentation kicked off almost immediately. The cap was gently submersed for a little more than a week before being basket pressed to old French barriques for aging. After five months the wine was bottled without fining and just a small 43 ppm sulfur addition and coarse filtration for stability.

 

Stats

  • Grapes: 100% Pinot Meunier
  • Vineyard: Sam Vigara's Uva Vineyard
  • Vine Age: 38-years-old
  • Soil Type: Heavy red clay over granite
  • Viticulture: Practicing Organic
  • Fermentation: Native – open-top fermenters with majority whole berries and some whole cluster
  • Skin Contact: 10 days
  • Aging: 5 months in old French barrique
  • Alcohol: 11.4%
  • pH: 3.44
  • Total Acidity: 5.3 g/L
  • Total SO2: 43 ppm
  • Total Production: 145 cases

Tasting Note

This chimeric mutation of pinot noir is simply about pink florals in spring. A cool growing season and harvest in 2023 gave way to a refreshing and aromatic red, pretty and delicate with fine tannins and floral aromatics. Ever-present in this wine is the Ochota trademark of tightly wound fine tannins wrapped in a core of pulsing bright red berries. It’s succulent with the mid palate holding length and energy.

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Producer


Ochota Barrels

Region


Adelaide Hills

Country


Australia

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