Nose
First spicy and aromatic, the nose is
reminiscent of cracked peppercorn and
cardamom with underlying notes of
mediterranean sun dried herbs. When
allowed to open in the glass, notes of
applewood smoke and meaty characters
appear.
Palate
The mouth opens with a burst of fruit, fresh
and jammed, followed by serious vinosity
and savouriness. Although ample, the palate
is well framed and leads to a structural oak
finish that lets through notes of vanilla and
savoury spices.
Growing Conditions
The fruit for this wine 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 child.Margaret River experienced amongst the
warmest vintage on record and on a par
with the very warm 2011 vintage. White
varieties were all harvested in a rush and
look fantastic with the fruit all in the winery
by the end of February. The red varieties
enjoyed a long warm ripening season that
ensured beautiful mature tannins and
bright varietal fruit flavors.
Winemaking
The zinfandel was handpicked in early
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 to
this variety. The wine steadily fermented to
dryness prior to basket pressing directy to
oak barriques for malolactic fermentation
and maturation. We use 30% new oak with
a combination of origins (French, American
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 garnet with purple hues that reveal its
youth
Food Pairing
Serious barbecues, especially Argentinian
style asados. This wine is not afraid of spices
and rubs, or even nasty bits: pair with head
cheeses and charcuterie boards, braised veal
heart with roasted new potatoes.