Tar & Roses Heathcote Tempranillo 2018 (Australia)

Description

• French oak
• Dark cherry
• Fresh earth
• Rich finish

A deep ruby red in the glass, this Tempranillo displays savoury, fresh earth, mulberry and dark cherry notes on the nose with hints of pomegranate. Liqueur cherries dance on the palate, perfectly accompanied by fig jam and sweet spice, it is wonderfully plush and round. Well balanced with substantial cocoa powder tannin, the wine finishes rich and long. 

A combination of two vineyards from Heathcote. Grapes were crushed and de-stemmed into one static fermenter which was pumped over twice a day. During fermentation the temperature and acid levels were monitored constantly. The wine was pressed to tank using an air bag press then racked off gross lees and transferred to barrel to finish malolactic fermentation. It was left to mature in a combination of new French and older barriques. Bottled 13th February 2019. Approximately 10% new French oak maturation. 

In contrast to the Nebbiolo and Sangiovese in this range, the Tempranillo is an early ripener and has no problem reaching full maturity in the soils at Heathcote. Tempranillo is prone to developing big bunches and berries when grown in rich soil so the rather gravely, tougher soil specific to Heathcote in particular, provides some restraint. Grown largely in the Rioja and Ribero del Duero regions of Spain, it is well suited to the warm, dry summers of Central Victoria.

Food Pairing: Grilled spiced lamb chops with vegetable ragout.