Winery Note:
It's a rare treat to have a wine or three that we hold for five plus years and are able to assess many bottles over the time to enjoy and contemplate. Normally the wines are grown, made, bottled and sold out within 15 to 18 months. With Darshan and Block 8 we have had the opportunity to see many bottles of these wines, to understand the vineyards, the seasons, their personalities and to evolve our expectations. It's been a treat. The 2018 season was a little warmer than 2017. The nose is floral, ethereal even, with sweet, wild forest fruits. Added complexity comes from aromas of brown spices, game and a cool red cherry freshness. The palate has lovely texture and weight, is mouth filling and flows on and on. It is also mineral, chalky and expansive. Like the 2017, this is at a lovely stage of development at six years and will continue to drink very well over the next half dozen years and beyond.
The Darshan vineyard is a tribute to Bindi founder Bill Darshan Singh Dhillon, who passed in early 2013. The vineyard preparations began a few months afterwards with planting taking place in 2014. Darshan faces west on quartz riddled soils similar to the Original Vineyard and is planted at 11,300 vines per hectare with 20% of the vines being a Crazy section at 22,600 vines per hectare featuring four clones. Over the first seven vintages, to 2023, we have seen this site produce ethereal wine showing exquisite perfume and spice with a lacey, sinewy, flowing long palate. Darshan , like Original Vineyard, is about perfume and finesse whereas Block 8 and Block 5 share fruit depth and structure in common.
The wine spends 15-17 months in French barrels of which about 35% are new. From 2017 onwards we are seeing the wines age gracefully and build earth, texture and intriguing beauty.
Production typically varies from 100-150 dozen per vintage.
