| Merlot | 100.0% |
| Alcohol | 14.0% |
| PH | 3.76 |
| Acidity Tartaric | 5.66 |
| Residual Sugar (G/L) | 0.36 |
| Full Cases (of 12) Produced | 7899 |
A record early bud break had us thinking that we were in for another hot ripe year as in 2015, but a cool June and July slowed the growing season significantly. We were on track for a great vintage until the first full moon in October treated us to an unexpected frost forcing us into a rush of picking on the 13th and 14th. It’s times like this that I’m glad I am a winemaker and not a Viticulturist. Andrew Moon worked continuously for 3 days, and there were more challenges to follow. That frost was soon followed by rain making the remaining blocks in the vineyard hard to get to. It was almost ten days later that we had a stretch of dry weather to bring in the remainder of the harvest.
Although challenging conditions persisted outside, once the grapes were brought to the winery they were in very good condition. Some minor sorting was required but most of the grapes were then destemmed and partially crushed, leaving some whole berries. Fermented in both closed and open top fermenters and allowed to ferment naturally with no added yeast. These fermentations typically are warmer and are much less vigorous, leading to a long, slow (6-8 weeks long), gentle extraction of colour, tannin and flavour.
The wines were then pressed and racked to oak barrels, a mix of French, American and Hungarian oak, for malolactic fermentation and ageing. Maturation ranged from 12 - 14 months depending on how the wines tasted, before being racked to tank, blended and finally bottled.
The nose is bright with plum, cherry and baking spices. Lots of layers here and a good balance of fruit and oak.
The palate shows off delicious strawberry jam notes until the oak steps up showing some roasted hazelnut, with plenty of grip and power. Deceptively big wine in its youth and will reward with a few months of cellaring.
Garnet red colour.
| Winemakers | Tenure |
|---|---|
| Andrew Windsor | April 11th, 2014 - Present |
