Ochota Barrels Grenache The Fugazi Vineyard McLaren Vale 2024 750ml

ABOUT The Ochota Barrels wines have an air of rebellion about them, constantly challenging the status quo. They have combined hands-off winemaking congruent with meticulous attention to detail, embracing a true ‘less-is-more’ approach. This has resulted in many of South Australia’s most interesting, and game changing, wines of the past decade plus. The Fugazi Grenache is a wine that has always been ahead of its time. It set the tone for a more elegant, pure-fruited, medium-bodied style of McLaren Vale Grenache which has become the de facto style. The vineyard was named after the post-hardcore punk band Fugazi that was playing on Taras and Amber’s car stereo as they arrived at the vineyard, which sits on a rise between the Onkaparinga River Gorge and Blewitt Springs in McLaren Vale. The organically dry-farmed, bushvines were planted in 1947 on rocky ironstone infused with a gravelly, red clay. There was no Fugazi in 2023 due to summer hail, but it’s back in 2024! The small bunches were hand-picked in early March and brought back to the shed where they underwent a gentle cold soak for one night. The fruit was taken outdoors, 25% whole-cluster and 75% hand-destemmed, to start spontaneous fermentation in six small, plastic fermenters. The fruit was carefully hand-plunged and spent between 10-30 days on skins depending upon the lot. The ferments were basket pressed to neutral French barriques with sporadic battonage implemented for the first 2 months, getting a bit of lees contact adding a sight touch of a reductive note to the notoriously oxidative Grenache. After about five and a half months of aging, the wine was racked to tank and bottled without fining or filtration and only minimal SO2 added. DATA Grapes: 100% Grenache Vineyard: The Fugazi Vineyard Vine Age: 77-years-old Soil Type: Ironstone & gravel infused red clay Viticulture: Practicing organic – dry-farmed Fermentation: Native – one-ton plastic picking bins (20% whole-cluster) Skin Contact: 14 days Aging: 5.5 months in seasoned French barrique Alcohol: 13% pH: 3.7 Total Acidity: 4.8 g/L Total SO2: 80 ppm Total Production: 200 cases TASTING NOTE The taut, nervous tension of compact red currants and satsuma plums fills the mid-palate with mouthwatering red berry intensity. Finely grained tannins frame the svelte, fleshy weight of forest cherries and persimmons, leading to a long, succulent, and savory finish. PRESS James Suckling | 96