Picked when acid and flavour are ripe, this is then destemmed and crushed into static fermenters. Fermented for 10 days using selected yeast strain and then pressed off skins into French oak for 18 months maturation. Barrels are then selected, blended and prepared for bottling.
The hot conditions that caused problems in other South Australian regions in January and early February did not affect the Limestone Coast and by the time the ripening season commenced the weather conditions were relatively benign. The only downside to the vintage were some frosts in early November which reduced yields in Pinot Gris and Chardonnay as well as small patches of Merlot and Cabernet. Ripening proceeded very slowly and all red varieties maintained very good acid levels right through until harvest and were picked with excellent chemical balance and beautiful fruit flavours. Our '8R' Merlot and 'Block 21A' Cabernet Sauvignon parcels are showing exceptional early promise. The last four vintages at Wrattonbully have been excellent and 2015 has continued the standard.
Wrattonbully is located in 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 neighbouring regions to the south with 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.
Machine-harvested, destemmed, cultured yeast, matured for 18 months in French oak (33% new). Polished, dextrous winemaking of high quality grapes. Vivid crimson-purple; it immediately imparts its DNA of fresh, bright intensely flavoured cassis fruits. Naturally, French oak and tannins provide context, but the focus never shifts from the fruit, picked at the zenith of its flavour.
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