95 points – "Deep, dark red with a good purple tint, the bouquet is smoky charcuterie, dried herbs, and bresaola. Berry fruits are there but buried deep among the forceful tannins and savoury/barrel-derived nuances. The length is prodigious, assisted by a warmth from alcohol, the concentrated flavour more than a match for it. Long and resonating. A powerful wine with masses of tannins, and very ageworthy." – Huon Hooke (The Real Review)

92 points – "The soaring florals of Touriga are becoming a more common olfactory experience in Vale reds, and it’s an exciting development. Here, those notes are paired with a traditional dance partner’s cherry cola and leathery fruit notes, with the emphasis firmly on juicy drinkability and pan-tapas versatility. There’s some anise spice adding savoury complexity, too." – Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

Otherwise known as "The Red One," a wine inspired by both the climate and lifestyle of the Iberian Peninsula. Both varieties are unquestionably suited to South Australian winegrowing conditions, resulting in wines with natural balance, complexity, and flavour.

Whilst Tempranillo is now well known, Touriga Nacional may be new to many wine drinkers and in need of further introduction. A lusty red variety that produces medium-bodied yet powerful wines with pungent fruit characteristics of fruit-mince or plum pudding. It blends well with the red fruit, earth, and cocoa of Tempranillo and may just be the variety and wine for our times.

THE VINTAGE
Mostly joyous but not without its challenges. Good winter rain led to strong growth with good cover in the mid-row and under-vine well into summer. Nervous expectation after two low-yielding years muted conversations about the potential for a good year right up until harvest.

No disease pressure, good canopies, and plentiful bunches led to a long ripening season. Some varieties tested patience and drew out vintage well into May. The greatest challenge was having enough hours in the day and people to help with harvesting the plentiful and perfectly ripe fruit. What a relief!

WINEMAKING
Variety: 70% Tempranillo | 30% Touriga Nacional
Varietal Origin: Spain and Portugal
Vineyard: McLaren Flat & Koomilya (Tempranillo), Koomilya (Touriga Nacional)

The Tempranillo was picked on the 19th of February, crushed, and fermented in open-top fermenters with daily pump-overs before pressing after 14 days on skins. Sent to French oak puncheon for malolactic fermentation only.
The Koomilya Touriga Nacional was picked on the 8th of April, crushed, and fermented in open-top fermenters, spending 14 days on skins before short maturation in vat.
Blended on the 14th of October and matured for 9 months in one 9,850L French oak vat.
Bottled in August 2022.
FLAVOUR PROFILE
Liqueur cherries from a freshly opened jar, orange rind, citrus caramel, Australian woodland in summer, liquorice sticks, clove, ground fennel—sticky fruit in a large bowl soaked in Beenleigh rum, ready for the pudding basin. Familiar Australian kitchen aromas and flavours mean these varieties are right at home.

Imagine if we’d taken this blend to the world in the early days of Australian wine production—surely we’d have taken the wine world by storm!

STRUCTURE & TEXTURE
The Tempranillo shoves the Touriga, and the Touriga pushes back twice as hard. The two varieties are locked in a joyous battle for supremacy with a riot of textures all screaming and shouting. A true festival in a glass.

CELLARING
No waiting necessary, but give it 10 years in a cool cellar if you must.

SERVING
We often think of Iberian meat dishes, but for this vintage, we have taken ourselves to the Middle East and suggest Rumi meatballs from Joseph Abboud’s excellent cookbook Foods of Middle Eastern Appearance.