The Sangreal Vineyard is the oldest planting (1994) on a north-facing slope of red ironstone on the surface going to limestone to bluestone below. The rows run north to south, gaining full sun exposure throughout the day and resulting in prettier, more perfumed wines. It’s always the first vineyard to be harvested.
Sangreal is consistently made with 60 to 70% whole bunch and aged in new oak. It is fermented in a five-tonne oak barrel with an open-top fermenter, and cold soaked for four days before a natural fermentation of seven to nine days. Once the cap falls, the tank is pressed. The wine is racked only once after malolactic fermentation, then sulphured and bottled, the entire process taking a total of 18 months. The wine is unfined and unfiltered in order to retain its natural flavour and bouquet. Sangreal is the most seamless and perfumed of the three single-vineyard Pinots.
Prettiness as you’d expect, but perhaps a little more brooding than Farrside at this time, with roast root vegetable notes along with red fruit. In fact lots of savoury stuff going on – mineral and spice, oak again an aristocratic backing. Then masses of fruit on the tongue, and a little more shape/clearer line than Farrside, albeit slightly less integrated in terms of flavour right now. Salty, ferrous bloodiness hits the sides of the mouth through the back palate. Length is really pretty and impressive, very mouthwatering. – Ed Merrison, CellarHand