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Wine Description
The Story
The deep rich colour of this wine indicates its intensity. The nose is full of ripe plum and dark cherries with a hint of white pepper and sweet vanillin. The flavours carry onto the palate which is full of big soft fruit, but balanced by an elegant oak structure and natural acid, resulting in a rich wine with a complex and fresh structure.
Wine Information
VINTAGE CONDITIONS – We had an early start to harvest with the grapes coming off from the 25th of February through to the 10th of April. Good rains resulted in strong yields with the additional moisture helping develop bright, vibrant fruit with good de nition and nice ripe tannins. Disease pressure was low as per the ‘norm’ allowing the fruit to fully ripen on the vine.
WINEMAKER’S NOTES – Individual blocks were harvested and transported to our Hunter winery in the cool of the night, with the temperatures usually below 100C. The batches were fermented separately in a combination of open and closed fermenters after gentle destemming, producing 14 cuvées, all having slightly different handling (pressed straight to wood, some with extended skin contact, some with whole fruit). The wines were matured in predominately French oak barriques (20% new) in our temperature-controlled barrel shed at 16 ̊C for 18mths. During this period they were racked three times.
We assessed the different batches over time, selecting the better ones for the ‘Rufus’ blend. Pleasingly, most were deemed good enough, highlighting the strength of the vineyard and the vintage.
WINE ANALYSIS - Alc 14.5% pH 3.51 TA 7.05g/L
TASTING NOTES – The deep rich red colour hints at the intensity of this wine. The nose is full of regional ripe plum and dark cherries with a pinch of white pepper and sweet vanillin. The avours carry onto the palate which is full of big soft fruit, balanced by regional minerality, elegant oak and natural acid. The result is a classic Heathcote shiraz, a rich wine with a complex and fresh structure.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS - The intense, berry fruit avours and mouth- lling appeal of this rich red wine makes it a ne accompaniment for lamb, beef and game dishes. This wine is excellent drinking now and will cellar for up to eight years.
