VINTAGE CONDITIONS
A difficult and challenging vintage. Winter started late, but we had enough cold to ensure good
budbreak in spring. We had below average winter rain, but a good normal spring. An early hot
summer with several heatwaves throughout the season meant lower growth and a smaller crop
with small berries. The little bit of supplementary water we could apply (sooner than ever before)
went a long way to help keep quality high. Harvest was our earliest ever, starting more than a
week earlier than normal. The hot weather and particularly warm evenings meant acidity was low
and we had to pick earlier than usual. Thankfully cooler weather arrived in the middle of the
February preserving the complex flavours
Harvest date: 22/02/2016 – 10/03/2016 @ 22,5 – 25 Balling.
PRODUCTION
100% destemming and crushing by hand directly into 2 ton open top fermentation tanks.
Spontaneous natural yeast fermentation @ 30ºC with the cap of skins punched down 2 – 3 times
a day for 15 days. Wine drained directly to barrels, together with single pressing from traditional
basket press for malolactic fermentation. 35% new French oak was used from high quality
coopers. Time in barrels 22 months with several rackings to gradually clarify the wine and assist
maturation. Bottled unfiltered by hand on the property.
Bottling date: 23/1/2018
Production: 803 x 12 x 750ml; 110 x 1,5L; 22 x 3L.
ANALYSIS
Alc. 14.45% SG. 1.6g/l TA 5.1g/l pH 3.64 VA 0.70 SO2 14free 56total