Description
35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 13% Petit Verdot and 7% Malbec from the ‘Obsidian' vineyard in Onetangi, fermented to 14.0% alc., the wine aged 12 months in 35% new French oak barriques. Dark, deep, black-hued ruby-red with slight purple hues. This has a firm, concentrated and densely packed nose with shy aromas of savoury black berry fruits with some complexing cedar, tobacco and earthy nuances. Medium-full bodied, the palate is firmly constructed with good extraction and line, the sinewy, grainy tannins framing the lively fruit flavours of blackberries, tobacco, dark plums and cedary oak. Some liquorice and dark chocolate notes show adding detail. The fruit vitality is enhanced by lacy acidity and oak spiciness, and the flavours blossom on the mid-palate, receding to a subtle, mellow, harmonious finish with moderate length. This is a firm, sinewy and flavoursome Bordeaux-styled red with lively, racy acidity and the structure to evolve.
