Rating:
91
Wine & Spirits
"Abel Gibson, whose father worked in winemaking at Penfolds, got his start working several vintages at Rockford, then Spinifex, before launching his own label. He sought out old-vine sites, bringing some Eden Valley fruit into Archaeus, his blend focused on syrah (77 percent), with equal amounts of mataro and grenache making up the balance. If you have no patience for natural wine, you probably won’t like this, but if you are open to a little decomposition in your wine, this recalls rose petals and cherry mostarda, its fruit structured by mineral-inflected tannins. One taster described it as “bloody blood orange,” another, simply, as beautiful."
Product Description:
"The wines of Ruggabellus are born out of a deep-rooted connection that vigneron Abel Gibson has with his home in the Barossa Valley, a connection that respects tradition, but isn't afraid to explore the possibilities for experimentation. The grapes for Ruggabellus are fermented carbonically, whereby the whole berry goes through ferment completely intact, which Abel says, "is a very important way to capture aromatics, and I love aromatics." The grapes then break late on in the ferments, or in the press once the wine is extracted. There is no additional tannin boost from the wood. Abel uses old, seasoned oak puncheons which provide the wine a neutral vessel for it to expand and contract. "If you just leave the wine in a tank, it can't do that, it sits and condenses back onto itself, and leaves it a little disorientated." Whereas, says Abel, "if it can go into a barrel, I feel like it can reconcile and resolve itself." The result are wines that are unique to place, have their own identity and character, and don't sit within the big, brash and bold Barossa wine box." - Importer
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