2004 ‘Project Ghost’ Shiraz Cabernet Grenache Mataro

The 2004 Project Ghost is a little slice of the Larrikin legacy; a snapshot in time of the 2004 version, before it got into bed with its older sibling and became the first official Larrikin Blend. The wine is the product of a lot of left of center thinking some seriously good fruit and a scant regard for convention

Download Tasting Note

Production:

Total production 192 bottles
Released August 2020

Colour:

Deep inky black with intense purple fringes lifting to hints of crimson brick on the meniscus reflecting years of age.

Nose:

Initially the nose is filled with fat rich aromas of spicy yeast buns redolent with plums. Layered over these rich base notes is a delicate aroma of red berry compote of blackberries and redcurrant finishing with a satisfying aged complexity awesomeness.

Palate:

Once the dusty notes and tightness of being jammed into a bottle for 15 odd years dissipates, remarkably rich yeasty plum pudding studded with preserved red berries and raspberry finishing notes leaps up. An intense mouth filling richness that lingers on and on combined with the intense fruit sweetness lift and project the flavours past the heady complexity only great bottle age can develop. Bold but beautifully balanced… not for those seeking a shy and retiring wine!!!

Philosophy:

The 2004 Project Ghost is a little slice of the Larrikin legacy; a snapshot in time of the 2004 version, before it got into bed with its older sibling and became the first official Larrikin Blend. The wine is the product of a lot of left of center thinking some seriously good fruit and a scant regard for convention. Due to the topography of our various blocks, there are a few little patches of awesome fruit that always got thrown in with much larger parcels. It seemed such a shame to let these tiny parcels disappear into ignominy so since 2003 a co-ferment of them all has been the order of the day. I’ve long held a theory that to truly integrate the flavour of different varieties you have to get them all into bed together as soon as possible. Following this theory I picked all these little blocks on the one day, then de stemmed and co-fermented them on skins. Vintage 2004 saw 225 liters of the 100% 2004 vintage blend kept aside (and hand bottled separately) when the first Larrikin was birthed and as is my wont, was tucked down the back of the shed for some future moment of glory. Bottled under cork (which has at it‘s heart a spicy sense of danger all its own) in 2005 this sixteen year old beauty lives up to the ‘Project Ghost standard because... It's a fucking CRACKER!!

Wines