Nose
The bouquet gives up damson, mulberry, blueberry & raspberry notes and a floral lift of violets, with suggestions of red licorice & cinnamon providing complexity.
Palate
Medium-bodied in the mouth; juicy, succulent & enticing. Dense & concentrated fruit flavours are enhanced by a dash of spice, fine ripe tannins & balanced acidity, making this a hugely appealing & very drinkable fruit driven style.
Growing Conditions
Average rains over winter & spring but cool cloudy conditions caused reduced fruit set in some varieties. Summer was warm with no heat spikes and was very dry, perfect for berry development. Delayed Marri blossom resulted in some bird pressure which was effectively controlled. Cooler conditions later in summer extended the ripening period. An excellent vintage across all varieties
Harvest
Sourced from our Wilyabrup vineyard. Hand-picked on 23rd March from block 11 at 13° Bé, with two further hand-picks on 4th & 11th April from block 9 at 13.4° Bé
Bottling
Unfined, vegan, & bottled August 2023
Winemaking
The first parcel underwent carbonic maceration for 13 days, & was then destemmed & inoculated, fermented on skins for 7 days followed by maturation in hogsheads & barriques for 3 months. The other parcels were destemmed & inoculated, fermented on skins for 8 days
Aging
Matured in barriques for 3 months
Appearance
The wine has a beguiling vibrant crimson colour.
Food Pairing
Would be excellent with roast pork loin with cranberry sauce, or baked aubergine with white beans & thym