Winery notes (2020 Vintage)
"The Pioneer is made from blending the best wines from each clone on each site. They were individually harvested and placed into small, open-top fermenters for cold maceration before fermentation started spontaneously. The vats were handplunged two to three times a day during the ferment. The wines were left on the skins for between seven and twenty days post fermentation before pressing into a mixture of French oak barriques (224l) and puncheons (500l). After ten months maturation we tasted every barrel and selected our favourite which we then blended and returned to barrel for a further four months aging.
Blackberry and dark cherry aromas combine wonderfully with vanilla and smoky French oak. The palate is rich and round with great flavour concentration and fine, velvety tannins resulting in a wine that offers both power and elegance."
Reviews for the 2019 vintage below…
5 Stars Michael Cooper (2019 Vintage)
"The 2019 vintage was grown in the Southern Valleys and matured for 10 months in French oak casks. After blending, it was barrel-aged for another four months. Deep ruby, it is a mouthfilling, savoury, structured red, with deep, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, nutty and complex. A powerful, youthful wine, it's well worth cellaring to 2023+."