All fruit for our White Label reds comes from our stunning 64 acre vineyard, located in the southern foothills of the McLaren Vale region. Its unique position, just 2km away from the coast of the Gulf St Vincent, allows the vines to benefit from a maritime climate with cooling afternoon sea breezes coming in from the south west. These breezes prevent our fruit from over-ripening so that we are able to produce elegant wines that balance rich primary fruit flavours with the characteristic earthiness and minerality associated with the region. The vineyards are planted exclusively with Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes – our sole objective is to produce the best possible wines that reflect our unique vineyard site.
At flavour and tannin ripeness, the grapes were harvested and crushed. After 7 gentle days on skins the free run fraction was run off, and the skins were carefully pressed. The free run and pressing fractions were then combined. After 24 hours the wine was racked to a mixture of French oak barrels and tanks, where it was matured for 18 months. The final blend was assembled in December 2015, comprising wine from different parts of the estate to create a complex and balanced Shiraz.
A heat-wave in early January had us thinging it would be a very early vintage, but it was swiftly followed by welcome rain to freshen the canopies. The rest of January and February was quite mild, slowing ripening a little and allowing for greater flavour development. Harvest started earlier than normal, crops were a little below average given the overall dryness of the season, and quality is considered good.
