Nose
White pepper, liquorice and plum jam aromas with hints of cinnamon and cracked allspice.
Palate
The entry is bright with a slatey texture and blackberry core. The tannins are coating and dark with spiced red fruits and cloves on a lingering finish.
Growing Conditions
Quality for the 2015 vintage was high, however yields were down across the region. In early March an autumn weather pattern came into being and with the passing of the low weather pattern that was Cyclone Olwyn, the region experienced some rain with cooler night time temperatures. This extended the ripening period for red wine varieties quite nicely giving them more 'hang time', which enhanced fruit development flavour profiles and softer tannin levels.
Winemaking
Roughly half the block was hand-picked and de-stemmed, with the berries left uncrushed to preserve the natural fruit perfumes and allow for slow, controlled tannin and flavour extraction. A third of the stalks yielded from the destemming processes were added back to the must to promote extraction of spicier flavours and more savoury fruit characters and textures. 4 days later the other half of the block was hand-picked and de-stemmed, with the berries left un-crushed to preserve the natural fruit perfumes and allow for slow, controlled tannin and flavour extraction. The ferments were kept cold and pumped over twice a day for 8 days. The still-fermenting wines were then gently separated from their skins and allowed to finish ferment in a mix of old and new Burgundian-style oak barrels. The wines were then aged separately in oak for 14 months before bottling.
Aging
This is a fresh drink now style, but can be aged for up to 8 years for added complexity.
Appearance
Crimson with blue and purple hues.
