2019 Corymbia Tempranillo / Malbec is 62% Tempranillo and 38% Malbec grown on the Herne Hill loam of Rocket’s Vineyard in the Upper Swan. The fruit is dry grown and organically farmed on this site named after the late, great Tony “Rocket” Mann – Rob’s father and former Australian Test Cricketer. Tony and his son Rob first planted the vineyard together on their family property more than 35 years ago on what was an old currant vineyard.
The grapes for this 2019 were hand harvested together, individually berry sorted prior to carbonic maceration and natural fermentation in a single French oak vat. Maturation followed in the same French oak vat for 10 months.
The wine expresses the qualities of the Swan Valley that Rob’s family has admired of the region for over 100 years. The aim is to make a wine true to its site that captures the warmth and richness of the valley and affords great drinkability. It’s vibrant and penetrating with a beautifully perfumed aroma of crunchy pomegranate, mulberry and summer pudding. The inky palate has texture and verve framed by lip-smacking, saturated tannins. It tastes of maraschino cherries, blueberries and salted liquorice with precise ripeness and a near perfect balance of density and freshness.