...super impressive
95 Points
The 2019 Chook Block, from a single biodynamically farmed vineyard, is super impressive and only released in the top vintages. With a beautiful sweet fruit mix and dark heart not far behind, it radiates bold, chocolatey, boysenberry fruits before rustic spice, leather and an iron minerality take hold; a strong serve of oak is well matched. A dense, complete palate follows, with a superb core of fruit and structure hardly moved from the day it was bottled. This wine has an extremely long and dense finish. Exceptional to enjoy now, although it would be a crime to drink before its 10th birthday.
Vinous, 28 Feb 2023
Brooding purple and black at the centre, the wine stays remarkably dark before hitting a clean scarlet edge. Layers of dark plum, mulberry and liquorice are seasoned with cedar, cinnamon, and toasted oak spice. Earthy, fruitful, and rich, the bouquet is generous and complex. While the vineyard fruit shows its own natural and highly individual shape, the palate remains completely serious in structure and style. The dark, concentrated fruit rides a wave of grippy, rolling tannins, speaking of long warm days on deep sandy soils. From an elite vineyard block in the prime of its maturity, and the strong 2019 vintage, cellaring potential is a given. Drink in its youth from four years and through to 25 years of age.
From Wirra Wirra’s own biodynamically farmed Chook Block Vineyard planted in 1960, there comes from time to time very small parcels of exceptionally intense, high quality fruit. In the very best years this fruit is vinified separately to create wines of unique interest, they are released in tiny quantities under this simple and unpretentious label… Chook Block. Initially crafted from the great 1998 vintage, Chook Block takes its name from one of Greg Trott’s original broiler chicken sheds, adjacent to the vineyard itself. To date we have produced seven acclaimed vintages – 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2016 - with 127 dozen of this 2017 vintage released in September 2020.
