Vandal Gonzo Militia Blend 2021

Vandal Wines was set up by three unnamed, masked Marlborough winemakers as an escape from the restrictions of their day jobs. The Gonzo Militia is a field blend, picked together on the same day and vinified together. The blend is unusual to say the least 20% Viognier, 20% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Gris, 15% Riesling, 15% Syrah, 5% Chardonnay, 2.5% Tempranillo and 2.5% Muscat, sourced from a single site in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys region. After pressing 50% is macerated on its skins for 24 hours, the whole is fermented in neutral French oak barrels using the natural yeasts and undergoes malolactic fermentation. The wine then spends 6 months on its lees with battonage, lees stirring, before bottling un-fined and un-filtered. The wine has delicate pink hue to its golden colour with a slight haze due to the lack of fining and filtration. The flavour is wild with a creamy mouth full of peach, plums with lemony, green apple acidity and nutty notes from the casks. A complex and fascinating break from the norm.

ORGANIC / NATURAL