Vintage NotesThe 2017 vintage in Margaret River was supremely challenging yet ultimately rewarding. Spring was slow and cool, Summer was moderate with no heat spikes, and wet weather persisted throughout March, which led to much slower ripening and extended hang times. The season ended three weeks later than the average harvest time, significantly increasing the risks of disease in pockets of the region. The ‘Indian Summer’ at the end of the long season resulted for those that had held their nerve, in good tannin structure at much lower sugar levels compared with past vintages, and beautiful fruit perfumes.
Vineyard NotesOur old-vine Shiraz is planted north-south, thus benefitting from even sunlight and warmth on either side of the canopy throughout the growing season. Fruit is dry grown, with multiple passes throughout the season to arrange and manipulate shoots and leaves, thus achieving the best balance of light and shade for our stylistic aspirations. Each individual vine is fruit thinned to help it reach its ultimate height of quality and intensity.
WinemakingPicked in the early hours of the morning, our Shiraz fruit was destemmed directly to the fermentors as whole berries, resulting in slower and more controlled extraction of tannin and greater retention of fruit based aromatics. A cool ferment on skins for 14 days was followed by a gentle pressing straight to barrel. The wine was matured in a combination of French Oak barriques and puncheons, 30% of which were new, and underwent bâttonage every 5-6 weeks. After 10 months in oak, the wine was lightly fined prior to filtration and bottling.
Tasting NotesBright red in colour with black flecks. A bouquet of plum skin, white pepper, currants and citrus blossom. A fine and intricately laced tapestry of pristine fruit tannin and soft red fruit acidity on the palate. Focused, poised and relentlessly driven by a medley of black berries, plum flesh and bruised apricots, with minerality and wet slate providing utter elegance on the finish.
