Blend: 55% Syrah, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon
Analysis:
Alcohol: 14.0% | PH: 3.92 | Titratable acidity: 5.48 g/L
Bottling Date: August 2023
Cellaring: 3+ years
Tasting Notes:
A deeply coloured, complex and brooding wine with intense aromas of blackberry, blueberry, cassis, damson plum, fig, bacon, charcuterie, espresso, vanilla and violets. The palate is full-bodied with firm, ripe tannins, more of the blue and black fruits, dried rosemary and thyme, dried black olives, black pepper, shortbread, clove, baking spices with a charred meat, gamy complexity through the long finish. Pair with rosemary crusted rack of lamb, crisp portobello mushrooms or braised lamb shanks.
– Rhys Pender, Master of Wine
Wine Making:
After a mild winter, the 2021 growing season got underway with early bud break occurring in March followed by timely fruit set. 2021 will be remembered as a very hot year with record-breaking temperatures in late June. Less frequent cooler nights coupled with the heat led to efforts to retain acidity in the grapes by picking earlier. While yields were somewhat impacted by the exceptional temperatures, phenolic ripeness was more easily achieved in the grapes harvested.
The majority of the Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for this vintage were harvested by hand from Burrowing Owl Vineyard A8 block on the Black Sage Bench on October 26. They were de-stemmed and gently crushed before being gravity-fed into the same tank. This co-fermentation process helped to marry the flavours and create a unique harmony to the blend. After completion, the wine was transferred into oak barrels, selected for their ability to integrate components and round out the tannins while contributing to complex savoury notes, for malolactic fermentation and ageing of 18 months. The wine was minimally filtered and left to mature in the bottle until its release.
