Piggs Peake Vintage Pork

PLEASE NOTE CURRENT VINTAGE WILL BE SUPPLIED, EVEN IF IMAGE SHOWS PREVIOUS VINTAGE 

People these days seem a big confused about what Vintage Port is.

The rules are simple from a legal point of view. The grapes all need to be from the same year (in this case 2016) and the alcohol content needs to be above 18% (which is achieved by adding spirit). Any spirit can be used, but typically one is used thats made from grapes such as grappa, brandy. Outside of that legal framework is where winemakers get creative.

The 2016 Vintage Pork fruit was grown on the western side of Orange, NSW at an altitude of about 800m above sea level. Orange is a wonderful wine region and is a place capable of making powerful yet supple reds.

The Shiraz for this wine was fully ripened before being picked and trucked to the winery in the Hunter Valley. It was quickly destemmed and chilled and held cold for 5 days before being warmed and inoculated with a specific yeast and hand plunged every 6 hours. About 60 percent of the way through ferment spirit was added to the tank and allowed to sit with the skins, seeds and juice for 24 hours. The wine was then pressed off skins into old oak for further maturation.

After two years, it was bottled. The resulting wine is rich and jammy. It is a vintage style, so remember when you open it is ideally consumed at that time.

Enjoy with blue cheese.