Margaret River Rolling Stone 2009
TASTING NOTE
Cassis, dark and brooding. You have to prod and roll around with this one which makes its personality all the more inquisitive. There is nutmeg and sarsaparilla on a savoury palate of olive and yeasty soy. Cloves and cinnamon lead to blackcurrant fruit and finish with ripe plums. Underlying are raw cabernet skins, pomacy and reeking of true character. Tannins from this prolonged contact are a silk hemmed dress and finish on sweet fermented cocoa bean.
Ryan Walsh and Freya Hohnen, winemakers
THE SEASON
Spring 2008 was wet and blustery hampering the '09 fruit set and reducing yields quite significantly. The cool summer meant that harvest started two and a half weeks after our normal start time. But with small crops come amazing intensity and quality. Due to a very late break in the season the red grapes were able to hang on long enough to achieve concentration and superb flavours. This gave the stand out awards to the later ripening varieties Mataro, Cabernet and Petit Verdot.
VINEYARDS
This wine comes from the clay and ironstone pebbly soils prevalent on the McHenry Hohnen Vineyards south of Margaret River. With a northerly aspect, the vines enjoy long days of sunshine, moderated by the vineyard's southern location. All vines on the McHenry Hohnen vineyards are grown on a single bilateral cordon with a vertically trained canopy. It is a simple and practical format that maximises light penetration and maintains a balanced vine.
VINIFICATION
28.5% Cabernet, 24% Merlot, 24% Petit Verdot. 23.5% Malbec
Fruit is crushed into small open fermenters, cabernet and petit verdot undergo extended maceration and are pressed off dry. Malbec and merlot retain a touch of sweetness. The wine is then transferred to French oak barrels, most of which are 2 and 3 years old, for malolactic fermentation. It is held in oak for 12 months prior to bottling.
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2009 Rolling Stone Tasting Note
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