A hallmark of the Utopos Vineyard on Roennfeldt Road is the pitch perfect acid/ tannin balance we can achieve in fully ripened fruit. This provides for delicious, highly approachable wines in their youth, whilst enabling them to develop over a 10-15 year period, and maybe more. The 2021 vintage was almost impossibly perfect, and has produced a series of red wines that will continue to showcase the amazing potential of this site for many years to come. Mild weather from bud burst in late September to harvest across March and April provided ideal conditions for steady, even canopy development, fruit set and ripening. The rain cycle through spring, summer and autumn was perfectly timed, providing regular refreshment to the vines, and maintaining a modest amount of sub soil moisture, resulting in average yields of approximately 1.5 tonne per acre.
Grenache and Mataro were harvested for the MSG on March 16 and cofermented with a 20% whole bunch inclusion with twice daily pumpovers. The fermentation was run warm with regular pump overs for 6 days before being pressed off to tank and barrel with a couple of baumé remaining. The wine was then matured in 20% new balance 3rd use tight grained med toast french hogsheads for almost 18 months. A blend of 55% Mataro, 32% Shiraz and 13% Grenache.
The Mataro component leads the aromatics with fine spice and herbal characters, with Shiraz and Grenache in support with black and red fruits. On the palate, the juicy red fruits of Grenache and the plumper, darker flavour profile of Shiraz integrate beautifully with the charcuterie like savoury characters of the Mataro. The flavour profile of the wine is rich, and ripe, but without an inch of fat on it! A wine that will reward straight up upon release, but also built to last for 10-15 years.
