Winery & Vintage Info
Blewitt Springs gave us a lovely parcel of fruit from old vines growing on a sandy west facing slope. The second parcel was sourced from old vine Shiraz grown on heavy Biscay clay in Willunga. These vines produce only small crops of intense Shiraz grapes packed with flavour. The final parcel was from our own high altitude Angels Rise vineyard where the Shiraz sings with ethereal elegance and complements the other parcels, creating a blend which is more than its parts.
McLaren Vale fared well in a challenging vintage, due to the moderating influence of the Gulf St Vincent, reliable spring rainfall and excellent water management; enabling the vines to grow unimpeded during hot spells. Yield was slightly impacted by two weather events, a hailstorm during flowering in November, and a day in January where temperatures soared to 46.6°C, burning some leaves and fruit. Harvest was fast and furious and while quality was exceptional, yields were down by up to 25%.
All parcels were kept separate throughout the winemaking process. Hand-picked, hand sorted, de-stemmed, and crushed, except for 25% of the fruit from the
Angels Rise parcel, which remained as whole bunches in the ferment. Cold macerated for a week prior to gentle warming, encouraging ferment to start naturally. The ferment was plunged daily, and the juice was pumped over regularly to maintain a wet cap. The wine remained on skins for 14 days before basket pressing and decanting to French oak puncheons. The final assemblage was carefully made in early October 2020. Bottled without fining or filtration.
