In 2023 we aged 450 litres of the 2023 harvest Bacchus in terracotta. Bacchus loves oxygen and the clay of the amphora being porous allows tiny amounts of oxygen to gently open up and soften the wine. It turns this austere, slightly recalcitrant grape variety into something that is softer, more generous and with greater complexity. The wine had been fermented using indigenous yeast that were present in the lees of the Silex 2023. Native fermentations encourage slower fermentations and complexity of aroma. During ageing it was handled very lightly. Zero sulphite and just left to chill. It developed a Flor yeast during this time, which rather than causing problems added to the wine’s profile. We racked the wine, leaving the yeast behind, sterile filtered it and bottled. So we have a different style of Bacchus here. Soft and mellow texture, a prickle of acidity, oxidised lemon, bitter orange, cut herbs and a beautifully delicate saline finish. Showing lovely signs of ageing but with years more potential to come.
