Tim Smith Mataro

“From a single vineyard, believed to be nearly 150 years of age, or over a 100, or whatever. It’s old. Aged in old French and Hungarian puncheons. Bloody and ferrous, a distinct ozone sort of thing here anyway, blackberry, orange peel, dried herb, spice and aniseed. It’s full-bodied, very purple, umami flavours are the thing, though there’s no shortage of bloody black fruit intensity, there’s a very firm juicy orange character to acidity, kind of tangy and zesty, which I think will settle with some bottle age. The finish is long and crammed with flavour. It’s a whole lotta Mataro.” – Gary Walsh (The Winefront) 94 points