‘The Price of Silence’

Gamay, Adelaide Hills, Australia

Yes, it’s just Gamay but like, Gamay that’s thrown it all away for a life of leisure in the woods and yes, we’re jealous! 2021 is Ochota’s first vintage without Taras, a beloved rockstar-turned-winemaker who passed away last year – his wife, Amber, aided by his father and winery manager, now run the business. Originally from Gamay clones, these 40-year-old vines were grafted with Chardonnay until Taras convinced his grower pal to hack them off (with a chainsaw!) and re-graft Gamay onto its own rootstock in a truly radical act of wild winemaking. Light as a feather and bursting with juicy fruit, this was fermented carbonically and whole cluster, pressed to neutral oak barriques and bottled without fining or filtration. Notes of pomegranate, redcurrant and Twizzlers emerge alongside a bouquet garni of dried herbs, a polished mineral-driven palate and a peppery, lightly tannic finish. As ritzy as that all sounds, this wine’s all about luxurious fun, friends and frivolity – don’t take it too seriously and pair it with summer sausage & crotch rips.