Vineyard

The grapes for our infamous BMIT are sourced from the gravelly mid slopes of the original 1983 Blend Block planting at Bloodwood. Our Malbec, which comes from an obscure, degraded mustachioed Barista clone of French origin, fruits only moderately. Even though the vineyard is trellised to a modified Scott Henry design and the soils are well drained and friable enough, yields, (unlike the wines), are never flash. (N.B. The Bloodwood Malbec Barista clone is so named because it may always be hairy up front, but it is clean-as clean down below.) Why do they do that???

Vintage Conditions

The Weather At Bloodwood is always the same; It's Different!

Vintage 2022 reminded us of those we used to experience in the mid eighties and early nineties. It was very cool and late by this centuries standards beginning with Chardonnay on the 16th March and ending with just ripe Shiraz in late April. Yields were moderate because we pruned for tough ripening conditions and although the acid and pH levels were on the bright side, fruit flavours were lovely. Given the tough conditions, (733 mm during the October to April growing season) it was vital that fungicide programmes were consistently protective to ensure good clean fruit at vintage. Luckily, we had a run of dry and warm days from 4th of February to the 25th of March only interrupted by a moderate fall in early March which dragged the vintage home in good clean shape here at Bloodwood.

Winemaking

This particular iteration of the Bloodwood BMIT the usual Malbec and Cabernet Franc whole bunch pressing followed by a gentle fermentation to technical dryness. As usual, the fruit was whole-bunch pressed and made along traditional white wine making lines. Following a post ferment clean-up, we allowed around five months fine lees contact to help integrate the palate and allow a natural Orange winter cold stabilization. After cold and protein stabilisation it was sterile filtered and bottled in August 2022. And boy, did it put up a fight..the indignity of it all.

pH 3.14

Acidity 7.5 g/l

Alc/Vol 13.0%

Tasting Notes

About the colour of an IPCC PowerPoint prediction on the future for humanity, this off-the-pie-chart pink promises a metaphysical meditation on the pleasures of cranberry and cream aromatics in an atmosphere of whole-bunch pressed Malbec and Cabernet Franc. Wholly man-made and inevitable vintage upon vintage, chilling a couple of degrees will leave a better taste in the mouth for everyone concerned.

Al/Vol 13.0%

James Halliday Wine Companion tasting notes

Campbell Mattinson - Published on 01 Mar 2018

It sits somewhere between copper and crimson in colour terms and somewhere between rose and dry red stylistically. There's certainly plenty to wrap your lips around for a rose. Cranberry, redcurrant, orange oil, roses and assorted dry spices. Not a bad line up of flavours/aromas. You can take this anywhere.

92 points to 2020