Winery & Vintage Info
The 2023 growing season started with budburst in September and continued with flowering in November. This year, we experienced a lot of wind and rain during flowering which makes for very challenging conditions. Between October and December 2022, there was 230mm of rainfall at both of our vineyard sites. It resulted in poor fruit set, and an overall reduction in yield for the season. Late December saw the rain disappear, leading away from the La Nina weather pattern and towards a drier, warmer El Nino period. It was a mild summer with no extremes of heat, whilst remaining warm. This is great for steady and slow development of flavour, acid, sugar, and tannin. All the elements that make for great quality wine.
Cooinda Vale Vineyard was established in 1985 by Pooley’s founders, Margaret and Dennis Pooley. Sitting between 80-100m above sea level, the vineyard is tucked away in a nook of hills North of Campania making it much more protected from prevailing weather conditions. Being more continental it also experiences greater extremes in temperatures bringing more frequent frosts, snow and heat waves. The iron lacking grey brown sandy loam over clay subsoils at this site tend to bring a moderate level of struggle to the vines by restricting deep root growth and water accessibility but in turn creates a wine that is more delicate and finer.
Fruit was handpicked except for Block 10. Most ferments were 100% de-stemmed fruit but a 100% whole bunch ferment was carried out on Abel clone. 15% of this was used in the final blend. Fermentation was carried out for 15-25 days with gentle extraction through modest pumper regime. Ferment was inoculated with XR Grand Rouge. The wine was matured for 11 months in French oak barriques of which 30% were new. Barrels used were CAVIN and St Martin. No fining but filtered.
