Vintage
We had good winter rains then warm summer conditions which brought about an early harvest. We had a few hot-cool-hot-cool periods which made it a little trickier to decide when to pick, but Joch reckons he got it right in the end.
Winemaking
'White Boar' is made with a nod in the general direction of Amarone, the Italian wine made in Valpolicella using native Italian varieties. There, grapes are dried on racks prior to fermentation. Being Bosworth, we do things slightly differently and cut the canes once the grapes are flavour ripe, and leave them to dry and concentrate on the vines. We are left after 10-12 days with slightly shrunken grapes rich in flavour and acidity. What follows then is a slow fermentation (the beaumé or grape sugar is pretty high) and then maturation for about 20 months in big old oak barrels before bottling.
Tasting Notes
White Boar is a rich luxurious red wine with layer upon layer of rich dark fruits, a whiff of chocolate and a character that Joch describes as ‘Old Jamaica’ – remember the chocolate? The wine has incredible persistence in the palate – you will still be tasting it minutes after you have swallowed the last drop. Drink with a rich braise dish or sitting in an armchair by a roaring fire in a castle. At home will do just as well.
Stop press: 2013 White Boar got a bronze medal at the 2017 Great Australian Red (October 2017)
Technical Details
| Vineyards | Chanticleer |
|---|---|
| Picking Date | Shiraz 11th March 2013 and Cabernet 22nd March 2013 |
| Alc/Vol | 14.5% |
| Bottling Date | 1st July 2015 |