Stony Brook Vineyards Ovidius Tempranillo 2018 [Platter 4.5]

Platter 4.5 stars. WINEMAKER’S NOTES WINEMAKER: CRAIG MCNAUGHT The name pays homage to the Roman poet, Ovid, who is quoted on the front label of this wine: “Chance is always powerful. Let your hook be always cast; in the pool where you least expect it there will be a fish.” Despite a really tough vintage in 2018, this wine shines through. Always an early ripener, our Tempranillo was harvested in the first week in February, just before the searing heat we experienced later on that Summer. As has become protocol with this wine, we meticulously hand-picked, hand-sorted and destemmed each bunch before a 6 day pre-ferment cold soak. The wine was taken to 65% new oak barrels for MLF and maturation for 26 months before bottling. TASTING NOTES Intense dark fruit, char, tobacco and cherry are immediately evident on the nose. There is wonderful complexity on the palate, balancing the rich fruit, density, oak and acidity perfectly. Black pepper and spice linger in the dry, tannic finish of this classic Tempranillo. Cellar for up to 15 years from harvest