Nose
Ripe and concentrated with a fragrant perfume of violet and incense. There are
ripe dark fruits of currant and mulberry with pepper and lead pencil, which are
balanced by more complex notes of damp earth and cedar oak.
Palate
Full, firm and structured with fine grain tannins. Once again, ripe dark fruits
show through with a slight hint of pepper.
Growing Conditions
Fruit to make the Fer was sourced from a premium vineyard in Margaret River.
Close monitoring and analysis of these vines leads to shoot or bunch thinning
by hand if required to obtain the perfect balance for good exposure and healthy
ripening. A philosophy of minimal inputs in these premium blocks allows the unique
combination of variety, soil type and microclimate to shine through and produce a
parcel of fruit with true character. The 2014 vintage was warm and dry producing
ripe flavour profiles and fine long tannin definition in the skins.
Bottling
The 2014 Fer was bottled in December of 2015 to super premium reverse taper
claret glass with a stelvin closure. This wine is drinking exceptionally well now and
with prudent storage should continue to show well towards 2024.
Winemaking
The fruit was harvested early in the morning and was crushed into a small open
fermenter. The ferment was initially hand plunged four times a day for the first 3
days, then the frequency was slowly reduced for the following 3 days leading into
draining and pressing off the skins. As Fer is a tannic variety, close attention needs
to be paid to the level of extraxtion during the second half of fermentation on skins
as well as during pressing of the skins. Press cuts are generally made early to avoid
the extraction of undesirable tannins which can lead to a tough tannic wine. The
wine was then matured in two year old French barriques for 20 months.
Aging
20 months - 100% 2 year old French oak
Appearance
Deep red with red-purple hue.
Food Pairing
Beef eye fillet, prosciutto wrapped venison with roasted vegetables.
