2022 Pinotage

Pinotage

Clare Valley

Red meat

2022

Medium deep colour with bright purple hues.

Raspberry, plum, dark cherry, tobacco leaf, liquorice, earthy spice.

Fleshy red fruits and spice upfront supported by a smooth tannin structure, followed by darker fruits on a medium body. Palate finishes on a note of savoury/earthy spice.

Drink now or age up to five years.

Fruit is sourced from Neil and Heather Grace's Home Block, with Pinotage planted in 2015 after a trip to South Africa highlighted the suitability of the variety to the Clare Valley. Alluvial soil over limestone.

14 day ferment on skins in open fermenters with gentle hand-plunging. Gently pressed to tank, settled and transferred to two- to three-year-old French oak puncheons, hogsheads and barriques and matured there for 12 months.

93 Points, QWine Reviews

"The debut release of this O'Leary Walker Pinotage was in 2019. A great drink back then, you'd be pleased to know little has changed. Silky with plenty of red and blue fruits, this is a joy to drink. I haven't seen it since 2022 but the press release back then said the vines were five years old and the current press release says the vines are now six years old. I haven't heard of Oil of Ulan being applied in the vineyard but the gang at O'Leary Walker have halted the aging process of those vines quite nicely it seems...Dangerously smooth, mulberries and blueberries rage on early. They are so inviting and so plump. Red cherries chime in as does a little weight and texture that creep in ever so slowly. Silky feels add sexiness with a savoury ripple courtesy of what appears to be some whole bunch presence along with cola and an earthy flicker. A wine that slides down with ease, I'm a big fan of the fruit up front and savoury finish." - Steve Leszczynski

92 Points, Winepilot

"A South African speciality which we rarely see in Australia (at the very least, pick up a bottle for the next blind tasting evening with your wineloving friends). The vines here, from a vineyard in the Clare Valley, are six years old. The wine spent 9 months in seasoned French oak. Jack Walker, the next generation, is the winemaker. A deep, dark red hue, the nose offers an array of dry herbs, red fruits, florals, warm earth, raspberries and a hint of rustic fungals. Dense, with balance, this is a wine of medium length, which should provide much pleasure over the next 2 to 4 years. Lots to love and very promising for the future of Pinotage in Australia." - Ken Gargett

91 Points, The Real Review

"Deep red-purple colour, bright and youthful and deep; the bouquet is stunning in its rich ripe blackberry and black-cherry fruit, a faint trace of pepper; the palate echoing this and adding a richness, roundness and softness of texture that is truly impressive. Plush fruit and the finish is just medium-length." - Huon Hooke

90 Points, Wine Front

"It’s stewy, spicy, red berried and lively with an attractive rusty dryness to the finish and good general energy. Orange- and apple-like notes show pretty clearly here too, in a pleasant way. At the bar, this would make for decent company." - Campbell Mattinson

90 Points, Silver -  Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show