Nose
A seductive bouquet of fresh blueberries with strawberries and cream confection give way to cherry cola and fragrant white pepper notes.
Palate
A soft and juicy palate abounds with ripe blueberries, Satsuma plums and red berry sweets. Whilst underlying milk chocolate, fresh vanilla pods and sweetened spices make for a memorable marriage of flavours. A velvety structure with lingering flavours makes this wine a crowd pleaser in any situation!
Growing Conditions
After desirable conditions during flowering, the summer started cool and wet, slowing down the growing season significantly. Conditions improved in late February, developing into a perfect Indian summer. The result is whites that are packed with energy and poise, and reds that got the benefit of a long, cool ripening period; tannin ripeness and complex flavour development. Alcohols are lower than previous years, even with greater physiological ripeness.
Winemaking
The fruit for this wine comes from Hazel’s Vineyard which is our southernmost vineyard. Whole berries were transferred by gravity into 5 tonne concrete fermenters. 30% of the fruit was hand harvested for whole bunch fermentation and additional spice and aromatic lift. Wild fermentation underwent at low temperatures and gentle extraction was carried out by pumping over twice daily. After 8 to 14 days on skins the juice was pressed and transferred to large format oak casks for 14 months maturation.
