The 2022 vintage was warm, rather than hot and follows two favourable winters. A relief after the cumulative warm and dry 2018, 2019 and 2020 growing seasons. The 2022 harvest was delayed and the fruit was picked in early April. The wine was made at Paul Osicka Wines, located at Graytown in the Eastern part of the Heathcote Wine Region. The fruit was handpicked and chilled before processing the next day. The fruit was processed without any pumping and sorted both pre and post destemmer. The result was close to 100 % whole berries, and no green matter, into one tonne open pots. The must was largely left alone for the first 5 days until fermentation commenced, to achieve some carbonic lift. Once active the ferments were plunged and rack and returned until baume dry. At this point the fermenters were sealed up and the wine given some post fementation maceration. In total the wine spent 24 days on skins prior to pressing into tight grained French Oak (about 20 % new). After 14 months maturation the wine was racked (for the first time) and bottled mid 2023.

Tobias Ansted (Winemaker at Tellurian Wines) and Simon Osicka (from Paul Osicka Wines) have tasted and discussed wine a bit together over the past decade. When an opportunity came along to purchase some grapes from some of the oldest plantings at Balgownie Estate it made perfect sense. Without a business plan, or a label and the fact that age worthy medium bodied Central Victorian Cabernet was more a thing of the 1980’s they forged forward. The temptation to work with these vines that were of such historic importance in the regeneration of the Victorian Wine Industry proved too great. For Tobias it was particularly personal, he had previously been the Senior Winemaker at Balgownie (the third in line after Stuart Anderson and Lindsay Ross). As such he knows the site and the people currently charged with caring for it well. Simon came along for the ride, likes writing about himself in the third person and fondly recalls a 1982 Balgownie Cabernet Sauvignon he shared with some colleagues at the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld in 1998.  

Between them the two winemakers have over 74 vintages experience and have made wine at numerous highly regarded wineries in both Australia and overseas. Somewhat surprisingly for both they found they were in general agreement when making wine together. Just like Asterix and Obilex they discovered that different skills can be complementary, particularly if there is wine to drink and pig to eat. Trying to make great wine is serious business, but it doesn’t mean you don’t get to have fun doing it.  

A wine in bottle and still no business plan, Tobias and Simon are encouraged that despite popular opinion there are plenty of things that were great in the 1980’s. It wasn't all just big hair and Rick Astley, the West Indies were still great at Cricket in the 1980’s. Just like age worthy medium bodied Central Victorian Cabernet, we hope the Windies will return to their former glory.