2022 Syrah

Vineyard

There are two Shiraz vineyards planted on Bloodwood; the Top Shiraz and the (ahem!) Bottom Shiraz vineyard. Although they are planted to the same clone; are exactly the same age and are both trained to Scott Henry trellis systems, they are on two different soil types. The Top Shiraz is planted on gravelly laminated siltstone at 840metres (Cote Blonde?) while the Bottom vineyard is on darker and slightly richer altered andesitic volcaniclastic conglomerate (Cote Brune?) at 810metres. The result of all this geological geomancy is that the lean top block provides the fruit and perfume while its lowly, higher yielding brother adds a neat dash of white pepper and liquorice to balance the wine in most years. We are

enormously pleased to report that both vineyards contribute equally to the “sans Viognier” component of the resultant blend.

Vintage Conditions

The Weather At Bloodwood is always the same; It's Different!

Vintage 2022 reminded us of those we used to experience in the mid eighties and early nineties. It was very cool and late by this centuries standards beginning with Chardonnay on the 16th March and ending with ripe enough Shiraz in late April. Yields were moderate because we pruned for tough ripening conditions and although the acid and pH levels were on the bright side, fruit flavours were lovely. Given the tough conditions, (733 mm during the October to April growing season) it was vital that fungicide programmes were consistently protective to ensure good clean fruit at vintage. Luckily, we had a run of dry and warm days from 4th of February to the 25th of March only interrupted by a moderate fall in early

March which dragged this vintage home in good clean shape here at Bloodwood.

Winemaking

As I’ve outlined elsewhere, we believe in macro oxygenation during the early fermentation process here at Bloodwood. And this wine is no exception. The top vineyard fruit was hand plunged with plenty of air in an open fermenter, whilst the bottom vineyard Shiraz was treated in the usual manner. A high proportion of whole berries are a constant in all our red ferments, and regular splash pumping over helps bring the tannins into shape early in the winemaking process. The wine spent 15 months in mostly older French oak hogsheads before sterile filtration and bottling in September 2023

Wine Analysis

pH 3.45

Acidity 7.2 g/l

Alc/Vol 13.6%

Price $480

Tasting Notes

Brooding dark carmine in colour, the gentle savoury blackcurrant and white spice infused fruit from this vintage has enjoyed its 15 months in old French oak hogsheads. Its bright, gently balanced mid-weight palate of red fruits, spice and finely integrated French oak tannins ensure medium term cellaring will add to the pleasure of this fine wine. Al/Vol 13.6%

2022 Cabernet Sauvignon

Vineyard

The fruit for this wine is sourced from SA125 clone in the House Block at front of the cellar door and the G9V3 component comes from the mid-slopes of the Maurice vineyard between the Pinot Noir and the Merlot Noir. This gives us two different aspects and two different clones with which to play, and as you all know, we like playing. The soils are slightly different with the SA125 planted over deeper red friable clay loams and the G9V3 on better drained gravely Easterly traprocks and limestone lenses.

The G9V3 seems to add high fruit notes to the structure colour and presence of the SA 125 clone. It all adds interest to this wine which will continue to surprise for many years as it matures in your cellar.

Vintage Conditions

The Weather At Bloodwood is always the same; It's Different!

Vintage 2022 reminded us of those we used to experience in the mid eighties and early nineties. It was very cool and late by this centuries standards beginning with Chardonnay on the 16th March and ending with ripe enough Shiraz in late April. Yields were moderate because we pruned for tough ripening conditions and although the acid and pH levels were on the bright side, fruit flavours were lovely. Given the tough conditions, (733 mm during the October to April growing season) it was vital that fungicide programmes were consistently protective to ensure good clean fruit at vintage. Luckily, we had a run of dry and warm days from 4th of February to the 25th of March 2022 only interrupted by a moderate fall in

early March which dragged this vintage home in good clean shape here at Bloodwood.

Winemaking

As I’ve outlined elsewhere, we believe in macro oxygenation during the early fermentation process and extended cold soaking on skins here at Bloodwood. And this wine is no exception. The home vineyard fruit was hand plunged with plenty of air in an open fermenter, whilst the G9V3 vineyard in the Maurice block was treated in the usual manner. A high proportion of whole berries are a constant in all our red ferments, and regular splash pumping-over helps bring the tannins into shape early in the wine making process. The wine spent 14 months in a mix of 20% new and the balance older French oak hogsheads followed by 4 months in stainless before sterile filtration and bottling in September 2023

Wine Analysis

pH 3.31

Acidity 6.8 g/l

Alc/Vol 13.5%

Price $480

Tasting Notes

Dense, bright crimson in colour, the lifted bouquet of cedar, ripe raspberries and red fruit infused violets leads into a poised palate of cassis, bright integrated acidity and soft vanillin char. The elegant balance of this wine supported by deliciously integrated French oak tannins, ensures a fine medium term future in your cellar if you can resist temptation.

2024 Chardonnay

Vineyard

This vineyard is the original Chardonnay vineyard at Bloodwood, and as such is responsible for much of the perception of quality that today surrounds Orange Chardonnay as a style. This vineyards low vigour friable soils are derived from a mixture of laminated siltstones and massive volcaniclastic sandstone, over a deep, free-draining pale substrate on a northerly slope of 15 degrees or so. Rows are arranged East/West on a pretty close planting of 1.2 by 2.2 metres. The vines are from the traditionally reserved P58

Chardonnay clone, and are trellised to a moderately formal VSP trellis system. Because of the low vigour in both the clone and the site, a mixture of cane and spur pruning is used in this vineyard to better balance the vines according to expected seasonal conditions.

Vintage Conditions

The Weather At Bloodwood is always the same; It's Different!

Vintage 2024 is looking better as the months go by. The winter rainfall leading up to the growing season was well below average and along with warmer temperatures, the early growing season was a challenge which we managed with pre-budburst irrigation and good weed control. The growing season itself was a warm one with weather up to and including harvest best described as warm and dry with some useful bursts of almost tropical rain in thunderstorms. Warmer than normal nights brought vintage forward to equal the earliest start recorded in vintage 2016. White and red yields were moderate across most varieties although the dry meant Cabernet juice yields were about 30 % down on historical averages. All the whites show remarkable pH/acid balance and fruit for such a warm year and the reds picked at moderate alcohols are also full of promise. Outstanding Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz are early highlights in what is likely the best vintage since the outstanding 2019.

Wine making

The initial approach for the Chardonnay is much the same as the Schubert, although the grapes are usually picked slightly earlier. The hand‐picked fruit is whole‐bunch pressed in an air‐bag press to 1.1 atmospheres with the low phenolic juice transferred to an insulated tank for overnight settling and subsequent racking. Some fines are allowed to pass into the racking tank where, under gentle warmth, the juice commences fermentation. After a Brix or so conversion, the newly moving juice is split into 20% well seasoned old oak with the balance fermented to dryness over 14 days in stainless steel. After primary fermentation is completed, both parcels of the wine are sulphured to inhibit malo‐lactic fermentation, stirred and transferred to our cool maturation cellar where the blend spends six months on fine lees. Stirring only occurs if too many reductive notes are seen. The wine is then bench trialled, cold stabilised, protein fined and sterile bottled in October following vintage. Pretty simple approach really with the wine mostly making itself. All I've got to do is avoid stuffing things up.

pH 3.18

Acidity 8.5g/l

Alc/Vol 13.3%

Tasting Notes

Straw white gold in colour, this Chardonnay, through its bouquet of ripe chalkiness, displays a typical rainwater-soft palate of spicy white peach and honey dew notes. And after enjoying all the flinty minerality and purity of varietal expression so typical of our old Chardonnay vineyard, there remains a fruit-dense and lively presence at the absence of this wine.

Alc/Vol 13.3%

Total price would normally be $484

Siptember Selection Price $420 including freight unto your door.