Nose
A fragrant lift of ripe black fruits with background aromas of violet, spice & vanilla
Palate
Full-bodied, rich, concentrated & generously fruited with great depth of flavour. Spice, berries, cherry & plum notes are framed by ripe, savoury & assertive tanninsWinemaking
Growing Conditions
The season started with a long, wet winter. The cool conditions saw the latest start to vintage for 11 years, but a plentiful & glorious crop. Rain at the end of March necessitated dropping bunches to remove diseased clusters & to allow the remaining fruit to achieve both flavour & sugar ripeness, but also to recover to their full intensity
Harvest
Hand-picked 21st March 2017 at 13.5° Bé from our Karridale site (53.5%), our original dry-grown Wilyabrup property (41.5%) & also our Metricup site (5%) , all of which are sustainably farmed following organic principles.
Bottling
The wine was bottled on 2nd November 2018
Winemaking
A blend of Malbec (95%) & Cabernet Sauvignon (5%) which was selectively picked, then sorted for optimum quality. Hand-plunged three times a day in open fermenters & then pressed off after 17 days on skins. Being a cooler vintage, the Cabernet Sauvignon has been added to help fill out the back palate.
Aging
The wine underwent 14 months maturation in hogsheads of which 23% were new
Appearance
Dark Purple
Food Pairing
Grilled sirloin steak with herb compound butter