Vintage
2016 was a vintage for the quick and the dead. Fortunately we were quick.
A warm and dry spring meant excellent even flowering and fruit set. Canopies were encouraged to be vigorous to protect the larger than average crop. Summer continued in this fashion, and ripening came on quickly. All shiraz was in the winery by the first week of March 2016. We aimed to pick while the fruit was fresh and vibrant, which meant going hard with harvesting. We are pleased that we did.
Winemaking
The hand-picked Shiraz fruit came from our own Napoleone Vineyard, planted in 1991. Twenty five percent wholes bunches were used in the ferments. The wine was pressed into large puncheons where it matured on lees for 10 months prior to a light filtration and bottling.
We picked a touch earlier than the 2015, looking for a balance of freshness and generosity in a warm year. Most important, the elegance and spice we love in Yarra shiraz is there.
Technical notes:
Vineyard: Napoleone, Block 5 (70%), Block 8 (30%)
Soil type: Alluvial loam on a clay base Aspect: South-Easterly
Harvested: Hand-picked
Clones: PT23 clone Yeast: Indigenous
Whole Bunch: 25% Oak: Puncheons, 10% new
Coopers: Mercurey, Dargaud and Jaegle
Alcohol: 13.5%
$29 / 750ml