RockBare Tempranillo 2014
Dry
5.98
3.43
Rockbare has managed to consistently produce one of McLaren Vale's favourite wines, year in year out. An exuberant, positively plump palate of sarsaparilla and cherry cola up front buoyed by juicy cranberry and blueberry notes that effortlessly fuse with underlying elements of chicory, clove and sweet vanilla. Some of the best local examples of Tempranillo wine hail from McLaren Vale just like this top drop.
An intriguingly telluric nose of earth, leather, tobacco leaf and a delicate herbal note with pungent, fruity essence wafts of plum and wild strawberry.
100% Tempranillo
An exuberant, positively plump palate of sarsaparilla and cherry cola up front buoyed by juicy cranberry and blueberry notes that effortlessly fuse with underlying elements of chicory, clove and sweet vanilla. A good line of natural acidity that culminates with the lingering finish of chalky, varietal Dutch cocoa tannins ably supports and enriches the velvety smooth, full-bodied palate.
Cold soaked for three days. Must allowed to warm in static fermenter and start fermenting with indigenous yeast before inoculating over the top halfway through ferment. Warm fermentation for 10 - 14 days at 18 - 22°C. Extended maceration post ferment for 3 weeks followed by gentle pressing off skins using airbag press. Malolactic fermentation and maturation in oak as below. Bottled under sleek and classy Stelvin LUX screwcap to retain freshness.
Dry
5.98
3.43
In the past I had sourced some Chardonnay from this particular patch of dirt in McLaren Flat and to be honest was hardly enamoured by it. So when the opportunity came to view and subsequently purchase the newly renovated site in the form of Tempranillo it’s fair to say I was truly excited. The hard work put in to transform this site with this enchanting varietal is seemingly the perfect union, with the deep fertile soil allowing the large pungent berries to flourish with abundant flavour. My trips to the vineyard to taste the fruit as it ripened became more and more frequent, probably unnecessarily so, such was the pleasure of tasting the fruit. The decision to harvest was assisted by the fact a swarm of bees were clearly as stimulated and captivated by the site as I was. When harvested I kept the winemaking inputs to a minimum and matured the wine in large format, older French oak in order to allow the fruit to shine.