Nose
You discover in this wine, next to rhubarb marmalade, star anise, violets, vanilla and butterscotch a wide range of powerful fruit aromas like blackberries, red currant and cherries.
Palate
On the palate you identify that this luscious wine has the same energy, fresh and intense aromas as on the nose. A full-bodied wine that has all the features to be enjoyed with steak, a chocolate dessert or on a cold day in front of a fireplace. Drink the wine slightly cooler than room temperature in a large Bordeaux glass and you will have a smooth and supple finish with silky tannins across your tongue.
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 end-March.
Winemaking
This year the grapes were picked slightly riper to allow a higher sugar and concentrated flavour development. After harvest the berries were crushed to give weight, volume and to create texture and capacity – then fermented. After the malolactic fermentation in the tank, 85% American and 15% French oak was used for maturation, for a period of 11 months. After this period the wine was fined and readied for bottling.
Appearance
When you look at the purple to ruby colour with that magenta rim it tells you something about the grape varietal.
Food Pairing
Steak or a chocolate dessert.
