Cold soaked for five days before fermentation on skins at 18 - 20 Degrees for 7 days. Maturation for 18 months in selected French oak before blending and bottling.
A cooler year than the previous two vintages led to good even ripening conditions and a normal to slightly early harvest. Crop yields were low to medium and fruit quality in Cabernet and Merlot was good to excellent. Our top Merlot parcels were the best ever from our Wrattonbully vineyard. Shiraz this year is lighter framed but our Gravels Block produced wine of good colour and power. Pinot Gris came off in good condition and our Bernard Clone Chardonnay block produced wine of delightful flavour and balance.
Wrattonbully adjoins the Coonawarra area in the southern part of the Limestone Coast wine zone. The prominent viticultural feature of the area is the series of ancient beach ridges and dunes which run roughly north-south through the area. These ridges are made up of soft crumbly limestone which weathers to produce the red and brown Terra Rossa clay loam soils so highly prized for grape growing. The ridges and dunes have elevations of up to 30m compared with the Coonawarra Terra Rossa 'high' of less than 5m. The extra elevation on the Wrattonbully dunes produce the advantage of cold air drainage which reduces the risk of frost during the growing season
2013 AUSTRALIAN WINE COMPANION 95 Has a whirl of blackcurrant; blackberry, black cherry and plum interleaved with spicy notes; the tannins are fine, the oak doing its job, but both leaving the focus on the fruit. Drink by 2025.
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