Tim Martin Wines, 'Bear' Tinta Barocca 2015

Tim's journey into winemaking began with a pivotal decision outlined in a succinct statement on his website's 'About Me' page: "One day I decided that what I really wanted to do with my life was make wine." His exploration culminated in crafting his inaugural vintage in 2014. Presently, Tim tends to vineyards situated in the Swartland (Qaisar and Chad) and Paarl (Mothership). Particularly noteworthy is Mothership, a plot he personally cultivates, adhering to biodynamic and Fukuoka methodologies, with plans for transitioning to fully biodynamic agriculture underway. Qaisar operates under organic farming practices, while Chad hails from a conventional vineyard. Embracing a philosophy of minimal intervention, Tim crafts his wines in a meticulously maintained cellar located in Cape Town, employing traditional techniques such as basket pressing and spontaneous fermentations within large oak vats ranging from 500 to 2000 litres.

Situated in Helderberg, the vineyards boast north-east facing slopes comprised of gravel and decomposed granite soil. With an average age of 44 years, the vines are sustainably farmed, remaining unirrigated and trained in a 'trellised bush-trained' fashion—a distinctive South African approach where bush vines are supported by two wires to maintain their bush structure. Made from 100% Tinta Barroca, a grape that's native to Portugal but is found in a few small plots around the Western Cape, it is created in a Burgundian and Beaujolais style, but using a robust dark fruited grape makes this something very different.

The nose is intense, offering floral and spicy aromas with brooding black fruit. These flavours carry through onto the palate with firm but fine tannins. Drinking beautifully now but will age well.