Winery & Vintage Info
2022 was a slightly cooler than average year but without any extreme heat. With higher than average rainfall the vines grew well in Rutherglen. Due to regular rainfall events and a mild summer it was a stressful but ultimately rewarding year in Rutherglen for our white wines and more savoury reds.
The fruit is grown on the De Bortoli Tuileries and Melville’s vineyards. The Tuileries block was planted to Tempranillo in 2013. This block adjoins the accommodation which is onsite at the De Bortoli Tuileries complex. It is on the western edge of the Rutherglen township and has some interesting gravel, clay and alluvial soil mix. The Melvilles vineyard is on the eastern edge of the Rutherglen region. The vine rows run North South and the block is west facing and produces Tempranillo with a balanced intensity and varietal definition.
The 2022 Tempranillo was partially crushed into small, temperature controlled vats and an open vat fermenter. The wine was pumped with careful cap management during fermentation to extract the fantastic colour and flavour without over extracting the tannins. The fruit is cold soaked prior to alcoholic fermentation to keep a bright and vibrant fruit profile. The wine is aged in older French and American oak to give some softness and roundness on the palate without dominating the wine.
