Ochota Barrels From the North Mourvèdre

"There's a rebel lying deep in my soul.- Clint Eastwood

Taras Ochota was a punk rock musician long before becoming a winemaker. He named all his cuvées after inspirational punk songs/ references. His mantra was low intervention wines, go against the grain of big burly Barossa style wines and showcase the finest and vibrant fruit character of the grapes. “My idea is to embrace that natural acidity, which is basically from picking early. “ With that you get lower alcohol than your typical Australian wines. Wines that have energy. Taking a holistic approach to making wines that have an energy, that have a vibrancy. Wines that ‘pop’ when you put them in your mouth!” Unfortunately Taras passed away last October at the young age of 49 after battling an auto immune disease. He truly was a rockstar winemaker to the core.

I was fortunate enough to have found bottle 1170 of 1282.

This wine comes from vines recorded to be the second oldest in the world, planted in 1869, the grapes are hand-picked and fermented in whole clusters, giving it a much lighter profile in color, tannins and style, except the concentration is evident, as you can smell the aroma as well, pouring it in the glass.

Ochota Barrels, "From the North" Mourvèdre - 2020

Barossa Valley, Southern Australia

It has a wild side, it flexes it’s sexy muscles as you pour it into the glass. Iridescent amethyst ruby color with perfumed blueberry, black plum, black cherry, blackberry jelly, smoked meat, violet, vanilla and cinnamon. Silky tannins meet lively acidity that further brightens the fresh fruit, licorice, tobacco, leather into a hum of black pepper and clove finish. It’s fresh, savory yet tensely ready to grey you palate likes stallion out of the gate, ride along with this beauty and you’ll never look back.

I raised a glass to Taras and the many beautiful souls that have touched our lives.