Swinney Mourvèdre Rosé 2022
- 96
- $65
- Drink by: 2022-2030
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This is the Rosé that Australia has been waiting for. If I have ever seen a better Rosé from this country, just what that might be escapes me for now. This really is a bit special. The final blend is actually 88% bush vine Mourvèdre, 8% Grenache and 4% Vermentino, with the Mourvèdre coming from the ironstone gravel hilltop of their Powderbark vineyard. All components were whole bunch pressed as one, directly into seasoned French oak barriques for a natural fermentation before bottling after three months on lees. A very pale orange bronze in colour, this is delicate on the nose, even if there is a suggestion of coiled power lurking beneath. Fresh and elegant, we have fragrances of exotic spices and raspberries, even a touch of pink grapefruit. A fine line of acidity and a surprisingly creamy texture, just exquisite, seamless and supple. The length is truly amazing, especially for what seems like such a fragile wine. Precision, energy, freshness, focus and poise. Surely, this has six to eight years ahead of it, though how anyone will have the self-restraint not to drink it immediately, is beyond me. A world class wine, not just a brilliant Rosé.
Ken was born and bred in Brisbane, Queensland. He had a non-trendy, perfectly happy childhood, in a family convinced alcohol meant instant condemnation to Hades. But a break fishing on the Great Barrier Reef, and some good wine, started a serious obsession that eventually took over. It did not stop Ken being chastised later for drinking Pol champagne, disgusted he’d drink anything made by a Cambodian dictator. Now, Ken mostly writes on wine, champagne and spirits for various newspapers, magazines and books, but is perhaps best known for his work in The Courier Mail. He also has a little sideline writing on cigars, fishing, travel and food. When not writing, fly-fishing for trout in NZ or bonefish on the flats of Cuba, travelling or smoking cigars, he is no doubt following a variety of sporting teams – the occasionally glorious Queensland Reds rugby, the dysfunctional Washington Redskins, the dodgy Arsenal and especially revels in the world restored to its proper axis with the return of the Ashes to their rightful home.
