Divine Mataro 2009

Yelland & Papps is Michael and Susan Papps (née Yelland), and was established in 2005.  Sourcing fruit from largely old vine material in the Greenock sub-region.  Resultant wines exhibit the characteristics of the locale, rich and full bodied.

This Mataro comes from 57 gnarly, hand picked bush vines planted around the 1880's, in its beloved loam over clay.   Only one hundred bottles made, thus this wine represents 1% of the entire production.  Open fermented on skins for 14 days before gentle basket pressing, 24 months maturation in old French oak, before bottling unfiltered.  Much love.

On visual impact alone the wine delights.  I referred to it - and the wine itself - as the Prince of Darkness meets George Clooney in his finest Armani suit.  It has the dark concentration and underlying brooding darkness of good Mataro, yet it's smooth, refined and a pleasure to be in the company of.  Seductive black cherry and plum aromatics, the old oak supporting the wine and assisting in the concentration of flavour.  The body is silken, smooth with chocolate and mocha.  There is an intensity, and a depth to the wine more than equivalent to the punt on the bottle.

Over two days the wine barely budged, in anything it became more focussed with greater shape being noted, channelling the wine, effortlessly flowing across the tongue towards the finish.

Tannin is extremely fine, there's hallmark spice, and it would be remiss to fail to mention the lack of heat that I have seen in other examples of Mataro recently.  Beautiful balance and all up this is simply an exquisite example of the style.  Exceptional.