2024 Joshua Cooper Blanche Barkley Old Vines Bendigo Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml

Planted 1970 by the Reimer family Blanche Barkley is a relatively unknown gem. The vines have been dry-grown from planting on an alluvial fan intermixed with shale, ironstone and mudstone in close proximity to the famed Balgownie. Weeds are removed by whipper snipper, while the fruit load is managed on a vine but vine basis ensuring each is capable of reaching full maturity. The resultant fruit is bright and fresh, while also loaded with a slew of fine tannin.

Once hand harvested the fruit was entirely de-stemmed, then partially foot crushed before transfer to open fermenters where it remained for three weeks. The must was allowed to soak until natural fermentation commenced and was then extracted with a combination pumping over, delestage and pigeage. 

Vibrant garnet, Blanche Barkley shares many characteristics with our Balgownie bottling, intense and creamy cassis fruit, lavender and graphite, in an intriguing dried bay complexity. 

Medium bodied and brightly lit, the palate is full of black currant and black cherry fruit, subtle spice and incredibly long with layers of fine grained, powdery tannin. An exceptionally balanced wine, it is enjoyable now with a decant and will cellar well into the future for additional complexity. - Producer Notes