Nose
The aroma is a lively mix of ripe, dark-skinned berries, plum & cherry with lifted nutmeg spice, charcuterie & floral/violet top notes
Palate
Medium-bodied in weight with a rounded, juicy, concentrated palate of black fruits, perfumed by spice, liquorice & dark choc mint notes. Fine tannins, balanced acidity & oak contribute definition, depth & length of flavour
Growing Conditions
A wet winter & spring impacted fruit set, leading to reduced yields. Yet, 2022 was an outstanding vintage. Warm, dry conditions in summer & autumn provided exceptional growing & ripening conditions. Bird pressure was greatly reduced due to strong flowering of native flora. Remarkable quality
Harvest
Malbec was hand-picked from our Wilyabrup site at 13.7° Bé on 25th March, & from the Karridale site at 13.5° Bé on 17th March. A parcel of Shiraz (5% of the blend) was also hand-picked on the Karridale site at 12.8° Bé on 17th March. Both vineyards are sustainably farmed following organic principles
Bottling
The wine was bottled in September 2022
Winemaking
One parcel of the dry-grown fruit underwent carbonic maceration for spice & berry brightness, with the other batches given a three-day cold soak, then destemmed & inoculated in open-fermenters. The southerly batches underwent whole-bunch carbonic maceration & a wild ferment. All ferments were plunged two to three times a day spending up to 18 days on skins. Six months maturation in neutral large French oak (300L & 500L) followed & the wine was filtered but not fined before being bottled
Appearance
Brooding crimson/purple
Food Pairing
Lamb Shish Kebabs with flatbread