2020 - Vino Di Gino - Grenache

Oak Puncheon Aged Red Wine

Swan Valley

Zero additions

1,048 bottles made

This wine comprises the first and last pick of the 2020 Gino’s Block Grenache. The first pick gave natural acid and savouriness whilst the last gave fruit ripeness and oomph. The picks were initially crushed and destemmed into both qvevri (before we tucked the Chateau da Swan in!) and Nally Bin and underwent wild fermentation. Maceration lasted 8-12 days and they were then pressed off with a pneumatic bag press to plastic and steel for a quick rest before oak. We then turned our attention to tracking down some impeccable old oak puncheons to give them their own special vessel to undergo élevage in. They stretched and grew and developed over the course of 12 months. Plenty of time to allow some of the more angular tannins to be tempered and toned.

One Puncheon turned out to be quite reductive whilst the other was a fairly euthymic in its temperament. Blended together they looked very beguiling. With the blended result’s clean acid line, punchy tannins, mild reductive quality and overall health at bottling we decided that it would likely represent significant ageability without the need for any additions. The Vino di Gino is just the Grenache grapes after spending an extended period of time in neutral old wood. No fining, no filtration, no additions of any kind.

The name of this wine is a cheeky nod to our block’s owner and tractor driver Gino Valenti. We’ve got it on good authority that he doesn’t even really drink red wine and that seemed like a weird enough reason to name this particular cuvée after him. We’ve heard
some talk that it doesn’t count as managing your own block if you don’t do your own tractor work – but there’s no way we’d deprive Gino of a few hours in one of his many mid-century tractors.

Here’s to you Gino! Saluti!