Nose
Black berries and cedar spice notes. It's full of sweet berries and savoury spice.
Palate
This wine keeps evolving as it opens up in the glass. It starts with black berries, vanilla and cedar spice notes and then evolves to more savoury notes, a hint of bay leaf and blueberries. The palate is complex, with a beautiful balance of fine tannins and acid leading to a wonderful length on the finish.
Growing Conditions
2016 started with mild spring conditions, which developed into a warm and dry start to summer. However, a tropical rain event in mid-January interrupted these lovely conditions. With this moisture came the challenge of increased disease pressure on the fruit. Despite this challenge, all fruit harvested was of exceptional quality, showing intense varietal characters.
Harvest
The Cabernet was picked in late February, followed by the Merlot in early March 2016.
Winemaking
After de-stemming and crushing, they were both inoculated with selected yeast strains and fermented in small 5 tonne open fermenters. During fermentation the must was mixed, twice daily by pumping over to keep the skins and juice in constant contact. Based on taste, the fermenting must was pressed once the perfect balance of colour, flavour and tannin extraction was reached. After the completion of primary fermentation, the wine was inoculated for Malolactic Fermentation (MLF), before being transferred into French oak barrels. With 15% new oak, the wine spent 18 months maturing in these barrels prior to blending and bottling.
Appearance
Plum red.
