Nose
Blackberries, dark chocolate and cedar introduce more subtle hints of liquorice, violets and vanilla pod.
Palate
The wine enters bold and powerful with chewy, coating tannin and black fruit inkiness pushing through to the mid-palate. The finish is opulent and rich, boasting yet more dark fruit tones and tannin.
Growing Conditions
Our Ironstone Vineyard is located in the golden triangle of the Margaret River Region, Caves Road, Wilyabrup. The vines are some of the oldest in the Region, densely planted on gravel loam soils with the roots plunging deep into the water table below requiring minimal irrigation. The 2011 Vintage and growing season was fairly typical of most Margaret River vintages. There was a cool to mild Autumn with a regular occurrence of rain up until the Summer Solstice. This was followed by warm, dry conditions with moderate afternoon sea breezes through to early April. The conditions throughout Autumn enabled the vines to grow strong and healthy canopies. With the dry Summer that followed, these healthy canopies were instrumental in supporting good fruit growth.
Winemaking
The fruit was hand-picked, de-stemmed and the berries just split to allow for minimal breakdown of the skin and to preserve the natural fruit freshness. The grapes were pumped over three times a day for 18 days, after which the wine was separated from the skins and allowed to finish fermentation in premium French oak barriques. The wine is aged in 45% new oak barrels for 18 months, after which it was blended, clarified and bottled.
Aging
Drinking beautifully now or cellar for up to 10 years
Appearance
Dark purple with crimson hints.
