Nose
Intense nose aromas of dark cherry, sweet spice
of cinnamon, cloves and liquorice. The wine
has also a savoury character of black pepper
and red meat to finish with notes of cigar box
and roasted coffee beans.
Palate
The intense concentration of flavours reflects
aromas of the nose. This hearty wine has
powdery and elegant tannins supporting layers
of flavours from dark fruits to savoury jus,
finishing with cacao and cigar notes
Growing Conditions
The fruits for this wine were sourced from
Cape Mentelle’s vineyards in Margaret
River, ranging in age from 15 to 40 years.
The soils are predominantly deep sandy
loams with high lateritic gravel content over
clay. Shoot and leaf removal techniques were
used to ensure good fruit exposure to light
and to take advantage of the ocean breeze,
which flows through the canopy.After a sunny and mild September 2014,
Margaret River experienced a cool spring
all the way to year’s end. 2015 brought
the driest January on record, on par with
2008, and concluded with some hot days
in the mid-thirties during the last week of
January. The nights remained cool through
summer, especially favoring delicate floral
and red fruit flavours. The red harvest was
challenging due to sporadic April rains, but
patience was rewarded as the fruit dried
beautifully to show expressive varietal
characters.
Winemaking
The fruit is destemmed, berries sorted,
cold soaked and traditionally fermented.
Maturation in small barriques is aimed
at retaining the refined fruit and floral
characters of the variety along with the
more savoury, spicy elements derived
from our vineyards in Margaret River
Aging
This wine can be enjoyed now or, if you
have some patience, let it rest for a few years.
Potential ageing 10-15 years.
Appearance
Deep dark purple with violet hues.
Food Pairing
Opulence and precision make this wine the
ideal match with a platter of jamon de bellota,
blue cheese and fig paste. It will also partner
perfectly a wild pig roast or smoked pork
roast, with plum and wine jus.
