Grapes were picked during the early hours of the morning while it was cool to allow cold soaking to gently extract colour and skin tannins. The grapes were fermented in open fermenters to allow gentle pump-overs three times a day. Post alcoholic fermentation the wine was transferred to 30% new French and American oak barrels and 70% older French barrels for malo-lactic fermentation. The wine was left to mature for 18 months before bottling. The wine was fined and filtered before bottling.
18 months in French barriques, 2% new, 55% one year old.
"From 20+yo vines, 10 days on skins, 16 months in oak (15% new). Smelling this elicited a smile, such is the vibrancy and potent intensity of the aromatics: blackberry, violets, fennel flower, licorice. The palate is juicy, fleshy and almost bouncy – the tannins have a jolly chew about them that trampolines the flavours around the mouth. Once gone, the wine leaves a satisfying, cleansing aftertaste." - 95 points, James Halliday
