This is our largest planting by area, with three vineyards totalling six hectares. Each vineyard has distinct character in terms of its elevation, aspect, soil, rootstock, and clone which gives us flexibility in creating deep, complex, and balanced wines. Syrah is exceptionally well-suited to our microclimate and thrives in the granite rich soils that dominate our landscape.
Moderate temperatures and even budding in 2014 yielded a large vintage with ripe fruit characteristics and relatively low phenolic concentration. As a result of the lighter style of the 2014 vintage, the wine is ready to drink at a relatively young age.
At harvest, fruit is hand-sorted twice, lightly crushed, and cold soaked for nearly a week before the start of fermentation. This allows the flavours and colours contained within the skins to soak into the wine gently and naturally. The wine is oxygenated daily via remontage and délestage before being racked into 225l French oak barrels at the end of primary fermentation. The wine remained in barrel during malolactic fermentation and for 18 months of maturation before bottling.
This Syrah reminds us of fresh black cherries, liquorice, and dark chocolate: a perfect match for rich flavours. The wine is smooth and balanced to delight the connoisseur and convert the newcomer. The oak is well-integrated and will age through 2018 or beyond. Some sedimentation may occur in bottle.
