Elemental Bob The Graveyard Tinta Barocca 2017
I’m only opening this because it’s been on the wine rack for a minute and I suspect I’ll want more of these to cellar.
Though, history has proven that Craig's wines are hard to stay away from. I picked this up at Vino Pronto's and, spoiler alert, it's a winner.
The Wine:
Slightly hazy deep garnet with a slightly paler rim. Pronounced nose of pot-pourri dried rose petals, rusted iron, sultanas, red cherries, plums, cassis, leather, something gamey, cinnamon, 5 spices, star anise, soy and hoisin sauce. Salty and savoury...but all that umami is riding firmly on a backbone of dried and fresh fruit.
I tried to swirl to breathe in the tobacco and slight coconut, but I poured myself a greedy portion!
Dry, medium+ body, medium alcohol, medium+ acidity and high tannins that mostly coat the middle of your tongue. Those tannins disappear quickly after you swallow, leaving you to relish the prunes, plump golden sultanas, tobacco, cloves and cinnamon. Cheery red fruits lift those dried fruits that give the impression of weight but never get heavy. A medium+ finish that’s deliciously spicy and smooth...I can’t get over how those tannins effortlessly dissipate after you swallow. So sippable.
This is inspiring a very specific memory of a bright and sunny winter al fresco lunch where we enjoyed roasted quail paired with a wine that was equally plummy and spicy, but not half as intriguing and complex as this.
Conclusion:
Balance (1) + Length (1) + Intensity (1) + Complexity (1) = A very good wine
Drink now, but potential for much further ageing.
Final Thoughts:
I've posted a few of the Elemental Bob wines - he was one of a handful of winemakers I’d bookmarked to explore in 2019. Discovering his wines has been a revelation. There’s something deliciously complex, wise beyond their years, and intellectual about them. They make you take pause and think long and hard.
I’m so glad I decided to open this, because now I know I need a whole bunch more (is it just me who likes working this pun into wine reviews?!?).
Tasted on a leaf day according to the Biodynamic Calendar for the SH. Tomorrow is a fruit day...but I don’t think there’ll be any left to taste tomorrow!
