2001 vintage was somewhat similar to 2000, with a hot dry summer and vintage beginning early. The weather cooled right off in mid March and with a bit of rain, things looked a bit tricky for a while but then mild clear weather from mid March to the end of April gave us perfect ripening conditions, particularly here in McLaren Vale.
The 2001 McLaren Vale Grenache et al. is a similar blend to previous years. It was a very warm vintage so this wine is fuller and richer than the 1999 version, with less overt pepper while retaining the characteristic spiciness of the wine. We add 5% Monastrell (Mataro) and 10% Shiraz from our own vineyard to add structure to this blend. Our Monastrell gives colour, plenty of extract and rather aggressive tannins and we deliberately pick early our Shiraz to match the aroma and tannin of the blend. McLaren Vale provides us with a choice of Grenache grapes from mature low yielding vineyards, so we can decide the most suited to our style.
The grapes are all hand picked and transported to our winery to be fermented with a few whole bunches, in open vats. After fermentation, we give it between two to three weeks maceration and then it is pressed straight into French barrels for 12 months with the 2001 Grenache et al. (no new oak). We bottled the wines on the premises in August 2002.
Our vineyard (Viña Cascabel) is at the southern end of McLaren Vale, with a northern aspect. The soil type is Urrbrae Stony Loam, very well drained and appears as a reddish gravelly clay, with medium size stones throughout and no apparent impediment for the roots to explore deeper, although it becomes quite hard during summer. There is little shelter from winds that occur almost every evening, which help keep diseases down, devigourate the vines and cool down the nights during spring and summer. Our soil and aspect allow us to ripen the fruit a bit earlier than the traditional areas of McLaren Vale, ideal conditions for Monastrell, Graciano and Tempranillo.
Varietals: 85% Grenache, 10% Shiraz, 5% Monastrell (Mataro)
Winemakers: Duncan Ferguson, Susana Fernández
Grenache from two vineyards near our winery forms the basis of this blend. The addition of spicy Shiraz and some tannic Monastrell (Mataro) from our vineyard helps its structure and balance.
Hand picked in April 2001; Grenache 14.2°Bé, Shiraz 13.1°Bé, Monastrell 12.5°Bé; small open fermenters; many whole bunches and stalks included; hand plunged; warm ferment to 33°C; left on skins for 3 weeks; pressed straight to barrels; old French and American oak, for 12 months; bottled in August 2002. |
