Nose
This is all about fragrance and perfume. Notes of red cherry and mulberry meet savoury - green capsicum, black olives and camphor.
Palate
It tastes of dark fruit character surrounded by eucalypt, oak, and a dried sage lift. A clean definition of the acidity and with the allowance to breathe textural tannins unfold within the glass.
Growing Conditions
A good part of the vintage growing season happens in the prior year.
For vintage 2021, it provided a milder Margaret River vintage. The conditions in this region are quite consistent looking at the coastal influence, temperature and overall Mediterranean climate.
The winter (June to August) of 2020 was significantly wet. The growing season was a mild spring (September to November) in 2020, with reasonable but not extreme rainfall, which are excellent growing conditions for vines and producing fruit with fantastic intensity.
Budburst and flowering across all varieties were normal. First grape variety to burst was Semillon followed by Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc.
Fortunately, in December and January, the region experienced virtually no rain and the summer was generally warm with few hot days experienced.
The cool nights allowed the vines some relief from the hot days. Weather in the first week of February was mild and 80mm of rain fell, providing welcome relief for the vineyards and was a great timing for the later ripening Cabernet Sauvignon.
The white varietals had finished veraison early February and the red varietals were still mid-veraison. Bird nets went onto the vineyard, however the flowering of marri blossom in the region kept the birds out of the vineyards.
The red varietals progressed nicely into autumn with some expressive fruit whilst the tannins seemed to take a little longer to evolve.
Early observations indicated that the white varietals had incredible flavour at lower baume that usual and retained natural acidity. There is purity and varietal expression and all at lower potential alcohol levels.
The mild summer produced excellent varietal definition with length and clarity.
Harvest
Commenced mid-April 2021.
Winemaking
Cabernet Sauvignon and a small portion of Nebbiolo grapes were crushed and immediately inoculated. Draining of skins (Svinatura) was applied after fermentation took place in open tank, with extraction by pumping over three times daily. After malolactic fermentation separate parcels of Malbec and Merlot were blended for further maturation. Final blend was racked, filtered and fined before bottling. This wine spent 11 months in 50% French and 50% American oak.
Appearance
Pale ruby in the glass.
Food Pairing
Pairs best with meat dishes like steak, venison stew, roast beef, and roasted lamb.
