Nose
Heady aromas of ripe dark berries, plums, & cassis with a hint of vanilla bean
Palate
Medium in weight, lush with a cornucopia of dark fruits & a hint of liquorice. Spicy charcuterie notes add a savoury element, with fine ripe tannins & seamless oak providing the structural framework. Poised, elegant, yet with underlying power
Growing Conditions
A very wet Winter & start to Spring invigorated the soils, whilst the driest November since 1999 meant no issues around flowering & fruit set. A little unseasonal rain in December then warm dry conditions. A welcome splash of January rain followed by a long Indian Summer until mid-April.
Harvest
100% Estate grown fruit hand-picked in two passes on 20th & 29th March 2018 from a single block on our dry-grown Wilyabrup site planted in 1973, which is undergoing organic certification
Bottling
The wine was bottled on 21/11/2022
Winemaking
The fruit underwent a cold soak for five days in one tonne open fermenters & was hand-plunged during fermentation. Time on skins varied from 14, 24 to 84 days. This extended maceration combined with aging on fine lees & stirring has helped build texture & length. MLF took place in barrel & the wine was not fined prior to bottling.
Aging
18 months maturation in French hogsheads of which 33% were new.
Appearance
Dark purple red
Food Pairing
Brined & grilled eggplant or Moroccan-style lamb with pistachio couscous
