Nose
Aromas of plums, citrus blossom and freshly picked raspberries, dotted with delicate tones of cacao nibs, white pepper and cloves.
Palate
A smooth, plum skin entry, rife with red and blue fruit flavours. The tannins are supple and inviting, taking on an inky quality and developing into a fresh finish of apricots and eastern spice.
Growing Conditions
The start of the growing season in 2012 provided the ideal maritime "classic" for
the 2013 vintage. It began with a wet July, a drier than average August, a wet
September, moderate falls in Oct and November and slightly above average falls in December. The new year blessed with a perfect Indian summer, characterised by sunny days until early April. The relatively dry end to the growing season, combined with warmer than long term mean temperatures in January and Feb set up for some spectacular ripening conditions. The early season warmth corresponded to early ripening of the whites and the early ripening of tannins in the reds. The slightly cooler temperature for March allowed gentle and complete ripening of the reds, making it a complete joy to be part of the Margaret River Wine Industry.
Winemaking
The fruit was hand-picked, de-stemmed and the berries left un-crushed to preserve the natural fruit perfumes and allow for slow, controlled tannin and flavour extraction. The ferment was kept cold and pumped over twice a day for 8 days. The still fermenting wine was then gently separated from the skins and allowed to finish ferment in Burgundian-style oak barrels, 33% which were new. The wine was aged in oak for 14 months, after which it was blended, clarified and bottled.
Aging
Up to 8 years, however we enjoy it for freshness now.
Appearance
Royal purple with black undertones.
