Nose
The aromas are deep and penetrating
showing rich blueberry fruit with plum
skins, aniseed, black pepper and allspice
Palate
A wine of great depth which has mulberry
and blueberry fruit supported by a touch of
dark chocolate and liquorice. The structure
is fi rm and savoury with the sweet berry
fruit balanced by a long, spicy fi nish which
is bright, fruit driven and sure to age very
well.
Growing Conditions
The fruit for this wine was sourced from
Cape Mentelle’s Estate Vineyards in
Margaret River, with vines ranging in
maturity from 12 - 39 years. The soils are
predominantly deep sandy loams with high
lateritic gravel content over clay. Shoot
and leaf removal techniques were used to
ensure a balance between fruit exposure to
light whilst providing protection from the
midday sun.The early 2011 harvest in Margaret River
was warm and dry and continued an
excellent run of recent vintages. Warm
nights and above average daily temperatures
throughout the growing season led to very
early ripening across all varieties, with
harvest commencing earlier than any of the
last 5 vintages. Ripe and plush with velvety
tannins and abundant fruit fl avour are the
result of an outstanding vintage.
Winemaking
Fruit was selectively harvested based on
fl avour and tannin maturity. After the fruit
was destemmed and berry sorted, individual
vineyard batches were fermented on skins
for up to 15 days. At the desired balance of
fruit and tannin extraction, each batch was
gently basket pressed, with harder pressings
kept aside. Following pressing the individual
parcels were racked to barriques and large
oak vats for malolactic fermentation.
Regular rackings over a 14 month period
ensured the individual wines were at their
best prior to blending. The wines were
matured in selected Burgundian coopered
barriques of which 20% were new, before
being bottled in November 2012.
Appearance
Inky with purple hues.
Food Pairing
Wagyu beef tataki served with shitake
and enoki mushroom salad and a truffl e
mayonnaise.