Nose
Blueberries and blackberries with a layer of savoury spices.
Palate
This wine style is all about the purity of the grapes. Berry fruits are in abundance, with hints of nutmeg, star anise and salami. The wine is medium bodied with light, silky tannins. A wine to enjoy within the next few years.
Growing Conditions
The 2017 vintage is going to be a vintage that will be remembered for years to come. Overall, the conditions were cooler than average and saw ripening on most varieties delayed by up to 4 weeks on normal. In the Swan Valley, the season will be remembered for the high rainfall with 30mm falling in late January and another 70mm 10 days later in February. This saw the Swan River burst it's banks. Whilst Sandalford had no flood damage in the vineyard, the unseasonal weather created challenges in the vineyard. Due to the later ripening of all red varieties, this rainfall had little effect on them, with all grapes showing intense varietal characters.
Winemaking
After harvest, the grapes were destemmed and crushed into static fermenters. Pumpovers were used for cap management and the extraction of colour, tannins and flavour during ferment. Near the end of fermentation the wine was drained and pressed, with the pressings combined with the free-run wine. The wine was then inoculated with a known Malolactic strain, before blending and bottling.
Appearance
Cherry red.
Food Pairing
This wine is vegan & vegetarian friendly.
