The grapes were grown in stony soil in the hottest part of our vineyard and we vinted it using the traditional methods employed to make the red wines of Bordeaux. 

The merlot has given the wine beautiful plum and purple peach fruitiness, while the cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc have added cassis, tobacco and spicy ethereal notes.  The palate entry is deceptively soft, but the wine expands in the mouth to reveal a broad framework of ripe tannins, that draw out its length and support a lingering after-taste.
Wine in moderation is a natural health food

This was a very balanced and even growing season without extremes.  Mild spring weather resulted in early bud burst.  There was good accumulation of summer heat and a long, dry autumn.  As we did not harvest the fruit until May it had plenty of time to become physiologically ripe with a good balance of sugars, acid and tannins. 

The vineyard experienced a cool, wet December when the vines were in flower, which resulted in poor pollination and a very low crop.  The rest of the summer was very good and the autumn warm and dry.  Leaves were removed in the fruiting zone ...

A mild spring was followed by extremely hot weather over the early and middle parts of the summer which made us wonder whether we might lose varietal typicity.  Subsequently the weather moderated and the autumn was dry, lingering and warm...

The growing season was special in that there was overall good heat summation without extremes of temperature and the autumn was dry, warm and very prolonged. This lead to very even ripening with the development of true varietal flavours and retention of good levels of natural acidity...

The growing season was special in that there was overall good heat summation without extremes of temperature and the autumn was dry, warm and very prolonged. This lead to very even ripening with the development of true varietal flavours and retention of good levels of natural acidity...

The vines are carefully trained by hand so that the leaves and bunches are fully exposed to the sun. This includes the removal of all leaves which may shade the grapes. A mild spring was followed by a warm, but not overly hot summer...

Spring was mild and encouraged early budburst and development of the new growth on the vines. The weather then became cooler, resulting in a relatively small crop of grapes setting. The growing season was long with a lingering autumn. The vines were carefully trained by hand to give the grapes and the leaves maximum exposure to the sun...

A mild spring led to the vines bursting into leaf early. The summer days were hot but the nights tended to be cool, leading to a large diurnal temperature variation. This produced excellent ripening while retaining good colour and natural acidity.

Warm weather in spring ensured early bud burst, getting the season away to a good start. The number of berries which set on the vines, however, was smaller than usual and the peak temperatures during summer were not as high as sometimes occurs.