Vineyard location:                            
Southern (SUD) Heathcote (Crucible or bowl arrangement having northerly, easterly and slight westerly gentle slopes)
 
Viticulture:                                        
Vertical shoot positions, PT23 clone.
350 meters above sea level.
Natural sustainable organic viticulture practiced.
 
Soil Characteristics:                      
Low fertile Granitic; ironstone washed through with Granitic sand over yellow and black cracking clay.
                                                          
Oenological Data:                           
Harvest Beaume – 14.2
Total acidity – 7.65 g/L
pH – 3.41
Alcohol – 14.0%
 
Production:                                      
235 dozen
 
Winemaker’s Notes:                       
Grown from very low yielding vines in pebbly low fertile Granitic soils on a slight Crucible or bowl arrangement having northerly, easterly and slight westerly gentle slopes in the southern aspect of Heathcote. The fruit was harvested at optimum balance, ripeness and intensity of flavour. The fruit was destemmed; berries not crushed or pumped to preserve their physical integrity and transferred to an open 4000 L wooden vat. Maceration times (mainly pumping over) for 30 days on skins and was naturally fermented. The wine was aged in new and used French and Hungarian oak for 18 months.  
 
Tasting Notes:                                
Complex savoury Asian spice (Kafir aroma), bay leaf, soy, truffle and white pepper on the nose with complimentary fruits blueberry, dark chocolate, plums, and ripe cherries with an earthy and brambly note. This is a very powerful wine with typical earthiness and chewy, fleshy texture. The finish is persistent with fine tannins and a fabulous balanced acidity. There is some musky perfume and smoky new oak as well. Classically structured, this wine offers lovely drinking now but will improve over the next 5 to 10 years. It should then mature slowly for many years hence.