The Drift Gift Horse Barbera 2018

I have always tried to make wines that are unusual in their delicious drinkability while still maintaining a sense of place. They must be generous, but not soupy. They must be technically correct, but bursting with character, life and energy. They must be clearly defined by their variety, but have a unique signature.

Over the last few decades I’ve made many mistakes and learnt many lessons. I’ve had the privilege to hone my skills over more than 30 harvests, working with gifted viticulturalists in vineyards all over the world. I have been closely acquainted with some exceptional vineyards over the years. I thought I had seen most of what there was to see. And then this vineyard came into my life…

It isn’t big – about half an hectare. When we ripped the soil in preparation for planting, I walked all over this small piece of land investigating the stones that had come to the surface and trying to read into the soil because I wasn’t sure what I should plant into it.

After a few years, when we finally got the vines up onto the cordon wire, they struggled, looking forlorn and unhappy. We babysat them, nursing them along, worried they didn’t like their new home. However, their roots slowly found a home in the soil and the vines started standing prouder and stronger.

It took ten long years before we allowed a crop to hang and ripen fully. We handled the grapes the way we handle all our grapes, with extreme care and love. The intense colour of the juice was a good sign, but it wasn’t until malolactic fermentation had finished; after the wine had been resting in barrel for two months that we realised we had something truly magnificent.

This is a once in a lifetime vineyard – the confluence of so many factors, all coming together to make magic happen.