2019 Corymbia Tempranillo / Malbec / Cabernet

Corymbia

Australia / Swan Valley / Corymbia

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.

December, 2021

Erin Larkin

Halliday Wine Companion

95 points

Both varieties harvested together, hand sorted, wild-yeast fermented followed by 10 months in seasoned oak. Tony ‘Rocket’ Mann (Australian Test Cricketer, among other things) was Rob’s dad, and this vineyard is outside the family home in Upper Swan. ‘Engaging' is an understatement. This is classically structured with dense, chewy tannins that ensconce the ripe and frankly seductive fruit in a blanket of texture. The wine is earthy, layered, glossy and succulent - what an amalgam of emotion and sensation. Yes.

March, 2021

Gary Walsh

The Wine Front

94 points.

Ripe raspberry, blueberry, liquorice, spicy biscuits and some pretty floral notes. It’s dense and chewy in tannin with a ferrous feel to it, deep and rolling, but still fresh with a bright raspberry/pomegranate tang, and some distinctly umami/seaweed flavours in the mix. Finish is long and savoury, with a slick of crushed rock tannin to close. Distinctive and wonderfully regional. Excellent.

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About Corymbia

Corymbia is the deep-rooted, far-sighted vision of husband-and wife-team, Rob and Genevieve Mann. The Mann name is synonymous with Western Australia’s Swan Valley, where Rob’s pioneering grandfather Jack worked a remarkable 51 consecutive vintages for Houghton. Rob was just a boy when he joined his father - former Australian test cricketer Tony - in planting the vines on what is now the dry-grown, organically farmed Corymbia vineyard.
After building an exceptional reputation in their own right, the couple kicked off their homecoming dream, Corymbia, with the 2013 vintage, during Rob’s tenure as estate director at Newton Vineyard in Napa Valley. Now firmly ensconced back in the Swan Valley, Rob and Gen’s Chenin Blanc and Tempranillo-dominant red blend sit at the heart of a bright future for this brilliant duo. And their Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon, from their beautiful Calgardup Vineyard, is a new milestone for this region.

About

Rob was one of the crop of hotshots at Hardys during the reign of Stephen Pannell, before Rob himself took the mantle of senior winemaker at Hardys Tintara. From there he established a name for himself as one of the great talents of his generation during his time at the helm of Cape Mentelle - eventually being handpicked to radically ramp up quality at LVMH's Napa estate Newton Vineyard. Genevieve, meanwhile, worked in South Africa, France, California and South Australia prior to moving to Margaret River in 2007 in the role of winemaker for Howard Park.