Fruit is from the Full Moon vineyard on red and brown volcanic soils in Gladysdale. This will be the last bottling from this site as the wine moves forward into its next vineyard chapter, more to come on this. It is whole bunch pressed, gravity fed to seasoned puncheons on full solids. Wild fermentation, 50% went through malolactic fermentation. This is a wine that chimes with high florals, a waft of wattle blossom and honeysuckle. Yellow plums, white peaches and just ripe mandarin skin. There is a river stream running over blue washed stone and white pumice. Folded whipped meringue and young almond mid pate creaminess that perfectly suits the buoyancy of citrus and flowers. Alive, pulsating with energy and verve. Drink now with angel hair pasta and sweet swimmer crab meat or cellar for another 8-10 years further, this will go the distance providing further milky tones and Marcona almond flesh in time.

Side project” sounds both cool and dismissive; this is not a wine to be dismissed... I fell for this wine from the first sip. It’s so right that I’m almost lost for words, or for the appropriate ones. It’s mellifluous, first and foremost, in the most beautiful of ways... I will no doubt rate wines higher, but I can’t imagine a wine that I would more like to drink. This wine is pure, liquid gorgeousness.

From the Full Moon vineyard in Gladysdale, which, sadly (and in a sign of the times), has been pulled out by the owner. Salo has another vineyard lined up for '26. In the meantime, this is an excellent way to go out. Brightly coloured with aromas of nectarine kernel, citrus peel, flint and light marine scents. There's a gentle creaminess on the well-weighted palate that finishes chalky, tensile and long. A lovely wine to drink now and over the next four to six years at least.