Description
Technical Notes
Vineyard: Napoleone Vineyard
Soil type: Grey loam on clay base
Aspect: Northerly
Yeast: Indigenous
Whole Bunch: 100%
Oak: Old French Puncheons
Alcohol: 12.5%
2022 AIRLIE BANK GARDEN RED
$24.00
“This one called #GardenRed is equal parts Cab Franc, Gamay and Grenache but tastes of the most joyous elements of each. All whole bunches yet doesn’t look at all like it. Bugger all sulphur. Just lots of delicious, invigorating flavours delivering enormous bang for your buck.”
Patrick Walsh, Cellarhand
First contact is a burst of juicy fruit that surrenders to a seductive velvety palate, with a savoury, punchy tannin finish from the grenache.
– Tim Shand, Winemaker
Winemaking
Inspired by the success of the 2021 wine, this wine hits the high notes of fresh fruit and 100% whole bunch. Gamay, Grenache and Cabernet Franc make up the majority of the wine, though there is a splash of Malbec in there as well to enrich the mid-palate. It’s a touch more opulent and concentrated than the 2021, and the tannins are a little more delicate. All batches were fermented in one-tonne pots, then pressed to old puncheons where the wine stayed (unsulphured) until July and bottling. It saw a minimal SO2 addition (25ppm) before heading off to bottle with no finings and minimal filtration.
