Gladstone Vineyard Auld Alliance 2008
In the vineyard
The grapes were grown at our Dakins Road block and only picked from a very stony band running through the block, where the vines have lower vigour and optimal ripeness is achieved. All harvesting was done by hand to ensure soft handling of the fruit.
In the winery
The different cultivars were all handled in separate batches throughout the process up until final blending. The grapes were crushed and de-stemmed into 1.5 tonne open fermenters. Yeast cultures were inoculated for a controlled fermentation. This lasted about three weeks, after which the wine was kept on the skins for a further four weeks to extract just the right amount of tannins. The wine was then pressed to French oak barrels where it matured for 14 months. The final blend is 59% Cabernet Franc, 16.5% each of Merlot and Malbec and 8 % Cabernet Sauvignon.
In the glass
The wine has a boysenberry, blackberry and integrated cedar oak nose with some soft spice notes of cloves and cinnamon. The palate is dense with lots of fine tannins, youthful restraint with a slightly sweet entry of soft oak and ripe fruit, a broad palate and a long finish. Enjoy now or cellar for up to 10 years.
