95 points - "Sourced from the Gordon Hills vineyard in Orange; 100% whole berry, matured in 100% French oak (15% new). Startling violets and a purple haze that sits on top of cherries and blackcurrants. Plums are there, too, as well as a nigella seed spice. Where this wine stands out from the pack is the mass of fine tannins, which bring weight and concentration to the middle palate. Some cedar sawdust and dried orange rind. Excellent value and a thoughtful wine, that will age well for another three to four years." - Shanteh Wale (Halliday Wine Companion)

VINEYARD CONDITIONS
Sourced from the foothills of Mt Canobolas at an altitude of 970 – 1015 metres, these vineyards have fertile soil, rich in volcanic ash. It is deep well drained clay loam, and red and brown ferrosol soils derived from basalt, with silty textures being found at hill top sites. One of Australia’s cooler climate regions, Orange has a mean January temperature of 19.5°C with a 15°C variance between Summer and Winter months, and an average rainfall of approximately 875mm per annum. With Orange being one of the highest wine growing regions in Australia, grapes grown here not only enjoy all the benefits of its cooler temperatures and unique topography, but also benefit from over 9 hours per day of direct sunshine during the growing season. The combination of both the cooler climate and plentiful sunshine is vital to the fruit's ability to develop intense aromas and maintain flavour, giving these grapes a long mouth feel and flavour profile.

WINEMAKERS' NOTES
Sourced from the Gordon Hills Vineyard in Orange, the fruit was picked and sorted at harvest. The grapes were harvested in small lots in the early morning, taking advantage of the cool morning temperatures. The fruit, a combination of clones, was separated into many vessels (100% whole berry). These whole berry components were cold soaked for 3 days and gently pumped over. Once fermentation commenced, the fermenting juice was pumped over daily through a screen in open fermentation, for long slow gentle extraction. Temperatures were allowed to spike at 28°C, and then slowly dropped back for the duration of the ferment. These components spent 26 days on skins. All parcels were separately basked pressed at their ideal structure and tannin balance, and delivered straight into 100% French oak of which 15% new and the remainder older oak. Malolactic fermentation was completed in barrel, after which it was matured on full lees. This wine was blended in December where it was then held in stainless steel on light lees for 10 months and then bottled.