2022 Ochota Barrels 'The Price of Silence' Gamay Adelaide Hills

Winemaker Notes: A tightly wound classic example of Gamay which shows medicinal fragrance and savory spiced red currants. There is a polished mineral palate that is lithe and dense yet elegant in its long and pure finish.

In 1985, three clones of Gamay were planted high up in the Piccadilly Valley. A few years later, due to its unpopularity, these vines were grafted to Chardonnay. It wasn’t until 2013 that Taras convinced his grower mate, Sam, to chainsaw off the Chardonnay grafts and bring back canes from the Gamay rootstock evolving from there. Cuttings were taken of these three clones and grafted on established vines in Sam’s quartz-laden woodside vineyard, planted on a former gold mine. The site succumbed to the devastating wildfires in the Hills in 2020, but the vines have regained balance in 2022. As for the name, The Price of Silence is a reference to one of Taras and Amber’s favorite hardcore Aussie band. The fruit was hand-harvested in April and placed into small half-ton fermenters. Half of the grapes were fermented whole-bunch partial carbonic for three weeks and the other half fermented entirely whole-cluster but open top with gentle hand plunging for roughly a week. The lots were basket-pressed directly to 500L French puncheons where the wine aged for five months. The wine was then blended to tank to settle naturally and bottled without fining or filtration and only a small 40ppm hit of sulfur dioxide.

Ochota Barrels, a project started by Taras and Amber Ochota in 2000, is a name that typifies the new wave winemaking scene in South Australia. The concept was to concentrate on the zenith variety of McLaren Vale (Grenache) and the Barossa Valley (Shiraz), find an exceptional old vineyard site in each region, and create vivid, highly textured, small batch, single-vineyard wines. Over the years, the regions and vineyards have evolved slightly, but the focus has remained the same. The Ochotas have always taken a less is more approach to winemaking and have infused their love for music into their wines. In fact, the majority of the wines are named after their favorite bands/songs (Fugazi, Slint, I am the Owl, Texture Like Sun, etc.). Taras once said, “I reckon you can often see the styles of music people like in the wines they make. I like edgy music, rawer, sharper, and my wines tend to be all elbows and knees sticking out." After Taras' untimely death in 2020, Amber has continued to make the same minimalist, single-vineyard wines, honoring Taras' dying wish.

CRITICAL ACCLAIM


Wine Enthusiast - "Since the untimely death of Taras Ochota, who was one of Australia's modern winemaker rock stars, his wife, Amber, has taken the reins, and wine quality hasn't suffered. This small-batch Gamay is oh-so-delicious with enticing plump berry fruit and spice aromas and a spicy, herbal, stony mineral underlay. Piercing acidity and chiseled tannins create linearity and drive. There's an ease and transparency to this that comes from minimal winemaking, and a drinkability that belies solid winemaking and varietal and site expression."