Nose

Red and dark berries, spice, bay leaf, dusty cedar

Palate

Smooth, juicy, bright, fresh with fine tannins

Harvest

A cooler than average growing season commencing with perfect flowering and excellent fruit set. The resulting potentially high yields were crop-thinned pre-veraison. Late summer and autumn were cooler and wetter than average, delaying harvest some three weeks. The milder ripening weather allowed for excellent flavour concentration, fine tannins and well balanced acidity.

Winemaking

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot parcels were destemmed but not crushed to preserve whole berries. Fermented in open or static fermenters with gentle hand plunging or pumpovers three times daily. Once pressed off skins, wines were matured in seasoned French oak with periodic racking to aid clarification. A parcel of Petit Verdot was blended to lift the aromatic profile.

Appearance

Medium dark red

Food Pairing

Pasta with meat-based sauces or barbecued steak