Estate fruit was sourced from our dry-grown ‘Rhône Block’ which has a sloping north/north-westerly aspect. Varieties were individually hand-picked with a crop level of under 1.7 tonne per acre. Grenache (56%), Shiraz (30%) and Mourvèdre (13%) fermented separately in open top stainless-steel vats with a mix of wild and cultured yeasts. Selected vats were left on skins for extended maceration (up to 30 days). After fermentation, the individual vats were basket-pressed and transferred by gravity to barrel for maturation in a mix of French oak barriques (second fill and older) for 22 months prior to assembly. No fining or filtration.

The initially savoury bouquet of aniseed, woody herbs and earthy spice evolves into ripe plum, bramble fruits and fleshy dark cherry. The palate is a riot of red and dark berry fruit offset with subtle oak spice and savoury characters. The finely structured palate is long and evolving, with supporting acidity and persistent tannins offering approachability now or the potential for shorter-term cellaring.