Description
Sitting on the edge of an escarpment, the vineyard is planted at 580 metres above sea level in deep, shaley, mudstone soils. Vineyard Owner/Operator Mark Walpole (ex-Brown Brothers Viticulturist) employs a fastidious viticultural approach that combines arched-cane pruning with judicious leaf plucking and fruit thinning. This, in conjunction with the inherent suitability of the site to the variety, ensures the desired fruit flavor profile and tannin maturation is achieved in the vineyard.
After hand harvesting, the majority of fruit was de-stemmed without crushing and cold soaked for three days. A small parcel of 100 percent whole bunches was fermented separately making up approximately 15 percent of the final blend. During fermentation, the timing and combination of pump-overs, rack and returns, pigeage and plunging was to preserve aromatics and perfume yet extract adequate tannins for structure and length. Post-fermentation, the wine was held on skins for a further 14 days before being pressed to French oak hogsheads (33% new) for a 16 month elevage. The wine received a light egg white fining prior to bottling.
2016 Harvest Date: 6th March 2016
Bottled: 30th August 2017
