The fruit comes from Robert and Genevieve Mann’s vineyard on the banks of Calgardup Brook in Redgate, just south of Margaret River township and only two kilometres from the Indian Ocean. Here, 25-year-old vines are dry-grown and organically farmed on Keenan gravel loam derived from ancient, decomposed granite. Planted at 1,600 vines per hectare, the vineyard is tended with meticulous attention, with repeated shoot- and bunch-thinning passes bringing yields below two tonnes per hectare and ensuring only pristine fruit reaches the winery.
A mild winter gave way to another warm, dry growing season. Moderate vigour and balanced vine health brought harvest forward by one to two weeks, delivering intensely flavoured fruit with excellent natural balance. Both Chardonnay and Cabernet were harvested in ideal ripening conditions, with outstanding quality potential reported for each.
Hand-picked fruit was destemmed and berry-sorted before being transferred directly into large French oak vats. Fermentation lasted 16 days, with daily plunging and pump-overs, before the wine was pressed directly into French oak barriques, 15% new, for 15 months’ maturation. Made with the minimum effective addition of sulphites, the wine was left unfined and minimally filtered.