Nose

Intense and complex, the nose starts with notes
of fresh shiitake and sous-bois, then develops
into a whirl of sweet and savoury spices - cloves,
nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla - that rests on a solid
base of jammy red fruits. Once the nose opens,
smoky oak and cigar box notes mix with animal,
meaty aromas that invite the first sip.

Palate

The texture is immediately rich with intense
and bright, ripe, red fruit flavours. The whole
palate is opulent while balanced: big and rich
with smooth long tannins that feel silky and
chocolatey. The finish draws on long notes of
coffee and spiced panacotta.

Growing Conditions

The fruit is sourced from a single block of
1974 elongated bush vine, planted at the
edge of the Estate property. All operations
are conducted manually and this very
fussy variety requires enormous care
throughout the season although it remains
one of the team’s favourite unruly children.After a sunny and mild September 2014,
Margaret River experienced a cool spring
all the way to the year end. 2015 brought
the driest January on record, on par with
2008 and concluded with some hot days in
the mid 30s during the last week. The nights
remained cool through summer, favouring
delicate floral and red fruit flavours especially.
The red harvest was difficult due to some
sporadic rains but patience was rewarded
as the fruit dried beautifully to some very
expressive varietal characters.

Winemaking

The Zinfandel was handpicked mid-March.
After destemming, the must was allowed to
soak at cool temperatures for several days,
prior to fermentation to naturally rehydrate
the raisins - so typical of this variety. The
wine steadily fermented to dryness, prior to
basket pressing directly to oak barriques for
malolactic fermentation and maturation. We
used about 50% new oak with a combination
of origins (French, American and Hungarian)
to highlight the multiple facets and origins of
this variety, for a total of 18 months.

Aging

This wine is young: consider cellaring for 1 to
5 years for full enjoyment.

Appearance

Deep, dark and youthful garnet.

Food Pairing

Serious barbecues, especially Argentinian style
asados. This wine is not afraid of spices and rubs:
pair with hard cheeses and charcuterie boards,
beef prime ribs and artisanal grilled sausages.
The 2015 Zinfandel will also pair well with
molten chocolate lava cake and orange blossom
honey sauce.