Nose
This wine has the distinctive bay leaf aromas of Margaret River Cabernet together with deep cassis, chocolate and lifted red berry freshness.
Palate
The palate has brooding blackberry and cassis boosted in the mid-palate with generous bright red fruits from Merlot. Classic Cabernet structure and drive produces a long tail of fine tannin and crisp acid reinforced with subtle oak and appealing mineral notes.
Growing Conditions
Abundant rain over winter and spring set up good soil moisture. Yields were low due to the effects of frost damage the previous season and unsettled weather during flowering and fruit set The summer was warm and dry until heavy rain off the tail of Cyclone Olwyn in late-February, a welcome relief for late-ripening varieties such as Merlot and Cabernet. The typical autumn of dry, warm days and cool nights allowed a long, slow ripening period encouraging
Winemaking
This wine is a natural expression of healthy, ripe fruit with inherent good structure and mature tannins. The fruit was picked in dry weather in early May and was destemmed and partially crushed before fermentation in open fermenters with twice-daily rack and return to extract flavour, colour and tannin. The wine was matured for 16 months in French oak hogsheads and barriques; about half were first or second use barrels. We chose St Martin and Demptos barrels with a tight grain and deep, slow toast to add flavour and structure without charry notes. During the crucial stage of blending each barrel was assessed and only the finest were reserved for this wine.
Food Pairing
Traditional spaghetti bolognese
