The 2023 Sangreal emerges from a season marked by smaller yields and impeccable fruit quality, reinforcing its status as the most seductive and aromatically driven release from the Farr family’s oldest vineyard, planted in 1994. Grown on north-facing slopes of bluestone and limestone, this vintage was crafted with 70% whole bunches and aged for 18 months in 70% new French oak, resulting in a wine of immense fragrance and structural poise. Its appearance is a brilliant, clear crimson, leading to a bouquet defined by smoked cherries, earthy beet, and dried red roses, underscored by exotic brown spices like mace and cardamom.

 

On the palate, it is a masterclass in "peacock's tail" intensity, where layers of ripe plum and dark cherry mushroom out with extraordinary generosity and vibrant acidity. Huon Hooke awarded this vintage a near-perfect 98 points at The Real Review, making it one of the top-ranked Pinot Noirs of the year, while Campbell Mattinson of The Wine Front praised its flawless integration, stating, "There are no seams and yet there is such complexity."

 

The finish is long and dramatic, showing notes of rust, steel, and smoke, all held in place by a fine, intricate web of tannin.