Zinfandel
Planted on an old quarry where soil is almost absent, our Zinfandel block provides the biggest challenge every vintage, and needs a little extra care... With hand harvesting the fruit later in the growing season and allowing it to slightly raisin, the wine produced is one of great complexity and flavour intensity.
Zinfandel Tasting Notes
Vineyard
The fruit is sourced from a small block of 10 rows of Zinfandel vines located on the eastern facing slope of Hentley Farm. When founder Keith Hentschke purchased the property, this block was a quarry. The shallow soil profile overlaying the quarry limestone reduces the natural vigour of the vine, allowing vibrancy and intensity to shine in the fruit.
Vintage
Leading up to the 2016 vintage, a dry winter and early spring was relieved by 60mm of rain in the first week of November. Consistently warm conditions through late spring and arly summer provided ideal ripening conditions with no disease pressure, also bringing expected harvest dates forward. Warmth through December and most of January was followed by a 60mm rain event in the last week of January. This, along with a long spell of mild temperatures provided the vines with some relief. The result was a slowing of sugar ripening and thus providing increased flavour development. Harvest dates mostly returned to normality and the balance of seed and flavour ripeness was the best seen since 2010.
Winemaking
The fruit was de-stemmed prior to a 7 day fermentation where regular pump-overs were used to ensure full extraction of colour and tannin. Once fermentation was complete the wine stayed on skins for another 50 days until complete submersion of the cap. The wine was then bag pressed out to 2nd & 3rd use French barrels where the wine underwent natural malolactic fermentation, racked off lees and returned to oak to mature for a total of 14 months. - Winemaker, Andrew Quin
Profile
Aromatics reminiscent of potpouri combine with bright red fruits and cloves. Grippy tannin through the sides of the palate provide great framework and there are savoury flavours intermingled with red fruits throughout. Expect a strong spice element on both nose and palate - aromatic detail and finesse are the highlights of this complex wine.
