White Boar 2009
Tasting Notes
We had a special guest present when preparing this tasting note, Berenice Axisa (@BereniceAxisa) who was part of the James Busby Wine tour (www.jamesbusbytravel.co.uk and @jamesbusbytrav) out of the UK. Berenice was passing through McLaren Vale and came for dinner and so was immediately put to work. Joch’s comments ‘a dark red and black fruits nose with a whiff of marshmallow flower as well as a touch of chorizo and if you concentrate really hard, even a scent of old Jamaica. The red and black fruits on the palate continues this theme. The significant weight of the wine is driven almost entirely by fruit tannins, which are supple, tactile and persistent.’ Berenice has this to say about the wine ‘deep ruby in colour, with blueberry and spiced perfumed notes on the nose, red currant and hints of mocha. Supple fruit on the mid palate is supported by good black fruit characters on the palate...long and smooth’
Vintage
A very dry winter was followed by a hot January which segued into a dry, mild conclusion to vintage. Small crops of both whites and reds were the result of dry conditions in winter and the preceding 3-4 years. In the case of the red varieties, the longer you waited for them the better they got.
Winemaking
Amarone from the viticultural zone of Valpollicella is made using 3-4 different grape varieties which are indigenous to the region. The wine style results from fermenting the grapes after being picked and dried on racks. Historically the grapes were dried over winter in the eaves of houses and then fermented the following spring. It is to this wine we owe our creative inspiration for the White Boar. When Joch deemed our Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes to be flavour ripe, their canes were cut and they were left to dry on the vines for approximately 12 days. The grapes were then hand-picked before undergoing a very slow and torturous fermentation in old oak. The drying process concentrates flavour, sugar and acid. These vine concentrated wines are made as a blending component for the single vineyard Battle of Bosworth red wines. In 2009 we had enough left over to bottle a small volume of the White Boar.
Reviews
eRobertParker.com #199 February 2012 Lisa Perrotti-Brown
A blend of 60% Shiraz and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 ‘White Boar’ has a deep garnet-purple color and aromas of warm cherries, dried mulberries and creme de framboise with touches of balsamic, potpourri and stewed tea. Rich and concentrated, the big, full bodied palate is solidly structured with a medium to firm level of grainy tannins, finishing log with lingering notes of cloves and cinnamon. Drinking now, it should keep to 2018+.
90+
Wine Business Magazine Oct 2011 Wine 100 by Mike Bennie
Attractive aromas of deeply concentrated blackberry fruits, violets and pomegranite. Palate offers slippery fruit texture and spicy oak. Has elegance amongst the brashness.
92 points reviewd by Mike Bennie
Other Vintages
Technical Details
Picking Date: 11th, 18th and 31st March 2009
Bottling Date: 25th October 2010
pH Level: 3.52
Total Acidity: 6.95g/L
Alc/Vol: 15.0%