Growing Conditions
The growing season began with a late budburst after a relatively cold Winter with reasonable rainfall. The cool spring which followed resulted in some uneven flowering and fruit set, and generally lower than average yields. We experienced a significant (and unusual) rain event mid- January which was timely due to the later season, and this was followed by some fine, mild weather to get vintage underway. There was a complete lack of Marri blossom leading up to and during harvest which meant that bird pressure was extreme! Bird-netting was vital this season. There was a minor rain event coupled with high humidity mid-March which presented some challenges requiring careful fruit selection with some white varieties; however, this gave way to some beautiful weather right through untill late April. Fruit for this blend was predominantly Estate grown (86%) on our Boodjidup and Stevens Road vineyard in the Wallcliffe sub-region of Margaret River and complimented by fruit sourced from mature vineyards in the Wilyabrup and Treeton sub-regions.
Winemaking
The fruit was crushed and destemmed then fermented in a combination of rotary and static fermenters at 26°C for 5–7 days. A portion of the blend was left for a period of extended maceration on skins followed by a gentle pressing adding plushness and a savoury, textural element to the wine. The various batches underwent MLF in tank followed by 14 months’ maturation in a selection of French oak barriques (20% new).
