95 POINTS - Ned Goodwin - Halliday Wine Companion
From old, unirrigated vines at Hickinbotham, in Clarendon.The only cuvée produced outside of Yangarra Estate. Destemmed, crushed and tipped into a ceramic egg where it remained on skins for 170 days. Gorgeous. Pinosity in spades. Noble bitterness. Lavender and white pepper. Pink grapefruit pulp and sapid, sour-cherry accents. Like the most glorious amaro with a slice of Sicilian orange, this plays a finessed card of consummate elegance, racy length, crunchy saline tannins and latent power. Brethren to Ovitelli in terms of shape, if not a bit looser and more flamboyant at the seams. A belly dancer in a souk of carnal desire. Scintillating, uber-aromatic grenache.

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Palate

This resulted in wonderful concentration of flavour, retention of natural acidity and brightness of fruit, but above all, beautiful finesse and balanced tannins.

Vinification

Grenache is sourced from our Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard, from a small plot (0.9 Ha) planted in 1962 on the highest ridge of the estate. Hand-picked on the 25th of March and selectively berry sorted. 100% destemmed, crushed and tipped into 1800L ‘cocciopesto’ stone egg shaped amphoras. The fermentation occurred in the amphoras, a gentle maceration of only wetting the cap. 72% remained on skins in amphora for 156 days. No pressings are used in this wine.

Maturation

Matured exclusively in amphora for a total of 11 months.

Vintage Notes

The growing season was affected by a very hot spring, leading to the lowest yields on record. As the grapes started their ripening process the weather miraculously cooled to a very mild ripening season.