REGION Riverina

Winemakers Rod Hooper, Danny Toaldo, Sean Hampel

Bouquet The wine has lifted plum, blackberries and varietal aromas.

Palate The palate has blackcurrant and juicy plum fl avours with soft tannins, and integrated French oak.

Food Match  An ideal accompaniment to Lamb casserole, roasts and BBQ steak

Cellar Soft fruit flavours are best enjoyed young to gain the most from varietal character

Analysis
Alcohol: 13.50 %, pH: 3.46
Total Acid: 5.67 g/l, Residual Sugar: 7.0 g/L

Vintage Report The fruit quality obtained this vintage has been very good despite challenging weather conditions. Above average rainfall in late January and early February was followed by a warm March ensuring the fast ripening, which meant we were able to obtain full ripeness in the reds. Overall, the grape fl avour profi les developed faster than that of the baumè levels allowing the winemakers to craft wines with fresher varietal characteristics and lower alcohols.

Vinification The fruit was machine harvested in mid March to ensure the fruit retained its integrity and structure. The fruit was destemmed and crushed to static fermenters where it was immediately innoculated with a yeast strain designed to enhance colour and varietal character. Fermentation progressed for approximately 6 days between 20-25°C. Draining and pressing occurred at 1Bé. Primary fermentation concluded in stainless steel with induced malolactic fermentation occurring shortly after. The wine was stabilized at 4°C then racked and coarsely fi ltered, then aged on French oak. The wine was filtered again and prepared for bottling.

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