We say it each year, but the old bush vines grown in sand in the north-east section of McLaren Vales has to be one of the great places in the world to grow grapes, and this is one of the great vineyards. A long maceration followed by elevage in neutral terracotta and oak has resulted in a wine with purity, talcum like tannins and complex nose of crushed red current and cherries. It's still a baby and we can imagine this wine has a very long life ahead.
Vineyard: Brini, Blewitt Springs
Planted: 1940’s
Clones: Unknown
Elevation: 180m
Aspect: S
Soil: Loamy, deep sand, free draining soils with pebbled ironstone, quartz and shale content.
Vinification: An open top fermentation of whole bunches, foot stomped daily until the end of fermentation, when the lid was put on and sealed for three months. The free run was run to a terracotta egg and a 500L Austrian puncheon for 8 months.
Harvest date: 19 March 2022
Bottled: 19 March 2023
Alc: 13.9%
pH: 3.43
TA: 5.8 g/L
Production: 90 dozen