Estate Merlot Cabernets

Price: $58 per bottle

Fermented in stainless steel open-top fermenters, with indigenous and selected yeasts. Extended maceration for extraction. Punched down up to 4 times per day. Air pulses. Gentle basket pressing and transferred into French and American oak for 10 months maturation. 3 rackings during élevage. No fining.

Platter of cured meat, Brown sugar mustard glazed ham, Wild pheasant in mushroom and wine sauce, Crostini with Ricotta and dark berries jam, Bloomy rind cheeses

Price: $62 per bottle

The berries were gently split to increase the surface of skins in contact with the juice. Fermented in small stainless vessels, with indigenous and selected yeasts and bacteria, carefully controlling temperature and bouquet development. The wine was then macerated until the equilibrium was achieved and gently pressed. The elevage was brilliant in special French and American oak barrels for 10 months. The finished wine, bottled under screw cap, without fining to preserve all that purity while promising aging potential.

Rosemary and thyme braised lamb shoulder, Beef rib in Bordelaise sauce, Veal chop with morel mushrooms, Platter of cured meat, Bloomy rind cheeses

An early spring with warmer than average temperatures brought us a very even bud burst and a solid start to the season. November to mid February was warm and dry with a distinct lack of the usual South westerly winds leading to a good fruit-set which was clearly visible by early December. January heralded veraison and some great early indications of things to come. The fruit was developing nicely with low acids and rich colour development. However, as we approached harvest the Northerly storms came in one after another bringing record rainfall and high humidity. This meant a lot more work for the vineyard team keeping canopies straight and the fruit quick drying in the intermittent sun that followed. Our multiple vineyard sites and a range of aspects, soil types and clones provided us with great potential. The steep northerly aspect of our Omiha blocks brought us some amazing batches of Merlot and Cabernets. Overall heat summation was well above our yearly average providing deep colour and rich tannin development in our Bordeaux varietals.

Price: $62 per bottle

The berries were gently split to increase the surface of the skins in contact with the juice. Fermented in small stainless vessels and concrete eggs, with indigenous and selected yeasts and bacteria, to carefully control temperature and bouquet development. The wine was then macerated until an equilibrium was achieved and then gently pressed. The élevage was brilliant in special French and American oak barrels for eighteen months. The finished wine was bottled under screw cap.

Braised Italian sausage stew with crusty bread and gremolata, Bagna Cauda with summer crudités, fresh pasta with mushrooms and romesco, green olive tapenade with crostini, cured meats and washed-rind cheeses.

A warm settled spring provided the backdrop for a very hot and dry summer, setting us up for another promising vintage. Twenty-four days over 30 degrees celsius during the growing season, and a maximum average temperature of 28.6 through December and January gave us the heat summation to advance ripening nicely. Veraison was very compressed, and passed through in around two weeks instead of the usual four. February brought rain, but due to the constant and meticulous work of our vineyard team the fruit was in great shape. Continuous rounds of canopy detailing kept the fruit hanging freely and quick drying. All of this work paid off as March brought drier conditions and harvest approached. Selectively picking when the fruit reached optimum condition and many small batch ferments allowed individual attention and precision in the winery. The resultant wines, like the vintage, are filled with tension and poise. Supple and long, they will age well and deliver an ever evolving experience over many years.

Price: $62 per bottle

The berries were gently split to increase the surface of the skins in contact with the juice. Cold soaked for a few days, then slowly fermented in small stainless vessels and concrete eggs, with indigenous and selected yeasts and bacteria, to carefully control temperature and bouquet development. The wine was then macerated until equilibrium was achieved and then gently basket pressed. The élevage was brilliant in special French and American oak barrels for ten months. The finished wine was bottled under screw cap.

Platter of cured meat, brown sugar mustard glazed ham, wild pheasant in mushroom and wine sauce, crostini with ricotta and dark berries jam, bloomy rind cheeses.

Warm breezy days, calm nights and the odd refreshing shower were the hallmarks of spring this growing season. This allowed an abundant fruit-set which our team then set about sculpting into perfect balance. Summer was kind with lots of sunshine, above average daytime temperatures and 22 days over 30°C during the growing season. Free draining north facing sites allowed us to capture all that sun while shedding the little rain that fell. The beautifully separated bunches ripened fully with harvest beginning earlier than usual. All varietals across the vintage period were picked in optimal condition leading to much jubilation in the winery. The resultant wines are showing great concentration, power and elegance even at this very early stage. Wines approachable in their youth but destined to age for decades.

Price: $65 per bottle

The berries were gently split to increase the surface of the skins in contact with the juice. The juice was cold soaked for 3 days, its temperature naturally increased for sequential fermentation in small stainless vessels, with indigenous and selected yeasts and bacteria, carefully controlling extraction and bouquet development. The wine was then macerated until the equilibrium was achieved and gently pressed in a vertical basket. The elevage was brilliant in special French and American oak barrels for 18 months. The finished wine, bottled under screw cap, without fining to preserve all that purity while promising aging potential.

Grilled chateaubriand steak, Beef filet with crust, Truffle pasta, Beaufort cheese, Dark chocolate desserts.

Warm settled weather in spring provided an early bud burst and a compressed flowering and resultant fruit set. Canopies were meticulously nurtured with laterals thinned by hand. After fruit set we followed up with detailed leaf removal around the fruit zone. Allowing the fruit to make the most of the abundant sunshine. December and January were some of the driest months on record, assisting with veraison to being at least ten days earlier than usual. There was a meagre 243mm of rainfall in the growing season, the driest in ten years. This coupled with warm summer days, cool nights, and light maritime breezes helped to provide wines which are rich, ripe, opulent, yet refined.

Price: $65 per bottle

The berries were gently split to increase the surface of the skins in contact with the juice. Cold soaked for a few days, then slowly fermented in small stainless vessels and concrete eggs, with indigenous and selected yeasts and bacteria, to carefully control temperature and bouquet development. The wine was then macerated until equilibrium was achieved and then gently basket pressed. The élevage was brilliant in special French and American oak barrels for ten months. The finished wine was bottled under screw cap.

Masala lamb curry, Châteaubriand with truffle sauce, Pan-fried veal kidneys with mustard, Classic stuffed turkey, Roasted wild rabbit with thyme.

Spring heralded very early this year around the end of August and mild sunny days followed. This encouraged a very early bud burst and early season growth. Flowering was understandably early in the increasingly warm days that followed. The driest October was followed by one of the wettest Novembers. This was a great benefit however as the vineyard was disease free and enabled great berry cell division and resulting development. Warmer than average pre-flowering to flowering period gave us fruitset 2 weeks ahead of usual. The dry warm weather continued, keeping ripening ahead of schedule. This allowed the fruit to fully develop in the late summer sun attaining perfect ripeness in flavour, tannin and sugar, acid balance. The fruit at harvest was pristine, permitting our small crew to harvest individual parcels in optimum condition. Just when we thought 2020 was a once in 50 year vintage and impossible to beat, it’s likely that we did just that.