This is a vintage where having a single vineyard red wine blend is so valuable. It was hot and dry and yields on our reds were tiny. Two separate picking dates were combined for co-fermentation to provide a buffer against any shortcomings and built a unique personality in the resultant wine that would not otherwise have been possible.
The organically farmed, dry-grown vines stand in Herne Hill loam on Rocket’s Vineyard, Upper Swan. Rob and his late father - Australian Test Cricketer Tony (Rocket) Mann - planted the vineyard together on their family property more than 35 years ago on what was an old currant vineyard. The site is now in conversion to organic certification.
The grapes were harvested on 1st and 10th February 2020 The Tempranillo (54% of the blend) and Malbec (46%) fruit was individually berry sorted and combined prior to carbonic maceration and natural co-fermentation in a single French oak vat. Maturation followed in the same French oak vat for 10 months. The wine was bottled on 7th February 2021.
Vibrant and aromatic with layers of interest, the wine smells of the first rain, aniseed, fresh-tanned leather and mulberry. Crunchy cranberry and blueberry fruits, squid ink umami and plush velvety structural tannins leave a lasting impression. - Rob & Gen Mann