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 arch-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 flavour profile and tannin maturation is achieved in the vineyard.
After hand harvesting, the majority of fruit was de-stemmed, lightly crushed and cold soaked for four days. A parcel of 100 per cent whole bunches was fermented separately making up approximately 30 per cent 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 15 days before pressing to French oak hogsheads (37% first use) for 16 months. The wine was bottled without fining or filtration
2022 Harvest Date: 25-30th March
Bottled: 19th September 2023
