The Barrel 2022 is one of the rarest and most expressive wines in the Ken Forrester cellar — a tiny-production GSM blend crafted with extraordinary patience and attention to detail. With exceptionally low yields creating small, flavour-packed berries, only a little over 150 bottles were ever produced. Nearly three years of barrel maturation and a further four years of bottle ageing have shaped this into a deep, concentrated, intensely layered wine with a brooding, wild-edged personality. This is a collector’s piece: powerful, structured and unforgettable.
Ken Forrester, The Producer
Although most famous for Chenin Blanc, Ken Forrester has always had a soft spot for Rhône-style red blends. The Barrel is his most ambitious interpretation, a wine crafted slowly and deliberately, using only the most exceptional GSM parcels from the farm. Ken approaches this wine with the same philosophy that drives his top Chenins: low yields, meticulous hand selection and long, gentle ageing. The result is a red blend that mirrors the soul of the vineyard: wild, dark, generous and uncompromising. In magnum format, it gains even greater longevity and elegance.
About the 2022 Vintage
The 2022 release is intensely concentrated, reflecting the minute yield and tiny berries harvested that year. Layers of black cherry, mulberry and wild bramble leap from the glass, supported by notes of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and dark savoury spice. Extended barrel ageing brings subtle vanilla and cedar, while oxygenation has softened the tannins into something velvety and refined. The palate is bold and focused, with deep, resonant fruit at its core and a long, warming, earthy finish. It is complex, muscular and profoundly expressive, a wine that will continue to evolve beautifully over the next decade.
Food Pairing Suggestion
Outstanding with slow-braised beef short ribs, venison ragù or charred aubergine with harissa and tahini.
Did you know?
With little more than 150 bottles released, this is one of the smallest-production wines in the entire Ken Forrester portfolio: many bottles never make it beyond private collectors.
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