Seasonal Conditions

A very wet winter, with good late winter rains, made for excellent budding and berry development. Winter was very cold, keeping the wines dormant until spring and a slightly cooler than usual summer ensured even ripening and above average yields of excellent quality grapes, resulting in complex, layered wines with fresh colours and elegant flavours.

Tasting Notes

A clear, bright wine with purple hues. The nose shows aromas of black currant, sour cherry coulis, Black Forest cake with a hint of pine needles, black truffle and lavender. The palate is soft and elegant, displaying flavours of black cherry compote, red berries, cloves and a lingering mustardy pepperiness gives a long finish. The tannins are soft with a well integrated fresh acidity.

Viticulture

The Certified Heritage Vineyard that produces our Cinsault grapes was planted in 1974. It is a dryland, bush vine and low yielding vineyard that produces around 1.4 tonnes of exceptional fruit  per hectare. The South West facing vineyard has ancient decomposed granite soil, that adds to the minerality in the wine.  

Viniculture

The fruit was picked by hand into small crates at 24˚Balling. A small portion of the wine was whole-bunch fermented, with stalks, in 500l open barrels and the rest of the wine was whole-bunch fermented in stainless steel tanks. A third of the wine was aged in 2nd fill, 500l oak barrels for 14 months.

Strictly limited production of 2230 numbered bottles.

Serving Suggestions

Ideal with beef fillet, game with cranberry sauce, seared tuna and mushroom risotto. Delicious with a raspberry crème brûlée. Serve chilled.