2020 - Dardy Ribo - Shiraz

Oak Puncheon Aged Red Wine

Swan Valley

Zero additions

490 bottles made

Négociant Grapes! Our good bud Paul Hoffman of Swan Valley wines
offered us a tonne of this fruit during the vintage of 2020 and when we saw its quality, we couldn’t refuse... This did lead to a brief existential crisis about how we could make it work but as with all things at Local Weirdos we decided transparency was the way forward. Our little dalliance into négociant winemaking for 2020. Some absolutely belter fruit from John Batistessa who manages multiple old-vine parcels in the Swan. This fruit comes fruit comes from the Lenard Street Vineyard in the Swan Valley foothills. It saw minimal inputs viticulture with organic practices throughout the 2020 growing season.

The fruit was crushed and destemmed into Nally Bin and underwent 14 days of maceration of skins. Pressed to stainless steel for a 4-month rest before transferring it into an old oak puncheon for 8 months. The resultant wine gave off the most alluring perfumed scent throughout its élevage, initially quite muscular on the palate with some attractive yet slightly raw tannins which with time eventually polymerised and settled. Racked to steel and then bottled without any additions whatsoever – including sulphites. The name comes as a little reference to one of our favourite Syrah producers in the world – the awe-inspiring Dard et Ribo of the Rhône Valley. These legends of natural wine were part of the first generation of dedicated sans-soufre winemakers in France in the early ‘90s - something that resonates with our endeavour here in the Swan Valley.
Santé!