Good winter and early spring rains were followed by a generally dry and mild growing season. After the leaner vintages of 2019 and 2020 it was nice to see a return to long term average crop levels. We had a slow and steady ripening period without any excessive heat spikes which has resulted in super varietal fruit intensity and balanced natural acidity.

A Mary Poppins kind of vintage; practically perfect! Joch is always loathe to comment favourably about vintage quality, for fear of jinxing things – he can be superstitious like that, but by the end of harvest, the word ‘exceptional’ was heard to come out of his mouth.

We grafted this Portuguese beauty onto some 25-year-old Shiraz vines about 10 years ago, and this is the seventh version of this medium-bodied wine. Touriga has traditionally been the backbone of vintage ports (we make a cracker VFT at Battle of Bosworth, too) in the Douro, but when picked early and matured in older oak, it makes for a bright fresh, perfumed wine which is perfect with charcuterie plates, or as I never tire of relating, with Portuguese chicken with cucumber, fennel and avocado salad. This pairing still stands!

• The Real Review

  Deep-ish red with a tinge of purple and aromas of mulberry and blueberry, the palate medium bodied and very approachable as a young wine, with fine tannins in good balance. Persistence is moderate, the finish soft, and it has easy drinking qualities. (2023–2031)
  90 points, Huon Hooke

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