The La Niña pattern weakened during the lead-up to the 2012 vintage, resulting in below
average winter and spring rainfall. July was the driest since the serious drought of 2003.
Spring was mild with few frost events; however, flowering and fruit set were affected by wet
drizzly weather in mid to late November, leading to only average yields. Summer was also
surprisingly mild with below average temperatures from southerlies off the ocean in January
and only two short heat events, at New Year and at the end of February. This provided for
slow ripening which allowed for intense fruit flavours, high colour figures, high acidity and
mature tannins. Rainfall leading up to vintage was above average, with the heaviest rainfall
events in late January and late February, which tied in well with the natural physiology of the
dry-grown vines; ie, keeping leaves active at veraison and ripening. Temperatures were mild
during harvest through March, warming to an Indian summer in April, allowing for a long
window of picking and amazing maturities with the red varieties.
Shiraz was a standout variety showing great purity and spice, colour, intensity and strikingly
mature tannins. Yields were average with exceptional overall quality.

Very deep crimson, with violet hues. Captivating briary blackberry and mulberry aromatics lead to alluring exotic five spice, star anise and black peppercorns, with herbaceous notes of thyme and dried basil and slight gamey hints. The palate has incredible length and purity, with a focussed core of blackberry and plum fruit, wrapped by beautifully integrated layers of silky tannins and lingers endlessly with flavours of sage leaf and blackcurrant skin.

Matured in 58% new and 42% seasoned (85% French and 15% American) hogsheads for 18
months prior to blending the separate parcels from the vineyard and bottling.