Nose
Smoky plums with dark chocolate high notes.
Palate
Medium bodied with cherry, raspberry, rich soft dark berry fruits, hints of blackcurrant and briary nuances with a lingering red berry acidity with a fine finish. A classic Australian blend made in a medium bodied style. A sprinkling of pepper and spice on the finish with fine dusty tannins. Enjoy now or will continue to mellow over the next five years. A perfect barbeque wine!
Growing Conditions
Margaret River vineyards produced lower than expected grape yields across all varieties in vintage 2015. The cause can be traced back to adverse weather conditions that affected primordial bud formation, followed by a-typical cool and unsettled conditions in November and December 2014 which impacted flowering and fruit set. Winter was warmer than usual. Disease pressure was minimal, although birds such as Silver Eyes were a problem due to the delayed blossoming of marri flowers so the vineyard was netted. Once again the quality was exceptional.
Harvest
The Shiraz grapes were picked on the 1st and 20th of March and the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes were picked on 27th March and 6th April.
Winemaking
The grapes were picked in the cool of the morning, destemmed and placed in two open fermenters. Innoculated with a neutral yeast and the cap plunged up to four times a day, by hand. After 10 days the wine was kept on extended skins for a further ten days. Then the wine was drained and the must basket pressed off to tank where it underwent a malolactic fermentation which softens the acid. The wine was then racked to a mix of one and two year old French barriques, then left to mature for 10 months. A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Shiraz. Bottled in July 2016.
Appearance
Deep dark red with purple hues.
