Merlot 2017

Dry Grown Merlot 2017

TASTING NOTES
Deep dense colour of dark plum. With aromas of Plums, mulberries, spice, blackcurrant, leather.
The palate is tight and tannic wine with nicely focused varietal fruit well integrated with chocolaty oak. Good backbone of fine tannins. Beautiful sweet red berry and slightly perfumed aromas. The palate is supple and succulent with quite delicious sweet fruit.

VINTAGE
While a later than normal start to vintage it was reminiscent of vintages 10 years ago. It has been so dry in previous years I think we all forgot what it was like to have a wet year! A solid vintage with later ripening than recent years. Low Baume with intense flavours shows promise for the whites and softness for the reds, with high quality fruit being produced. A hard but exciting vintage. Galafrey celebrates with their 40th Vintage this year.

VINEYARD
Fruit sourced from our 41 year old 12 hectare Dry Grown Vineyard. Our old vines are not irrigated; something quite unusual in these days of mass commercial production. Having smaller fruit fosters an intensity of the flavour, with most of the colour and tannin of the grape being concentrated in or near the skin. The characteristically cool climate of the district ensures slow ripening of the grapes, which also allows for the development of rich flavour and quality grape juice. Grown on ancient gravely loams, our old vines are all cane pruned and yield 2 tonne per hectare. Galafrey harvest their grapes from mid-March to late April depending on the season.

WINEMAKING
Mechanically harvested these dry, cool to mild climate grapes of the Great Southern region will produce classic Merlot, wines with great depth of flavour and structure. We endeavour through meticulous viticulture and wine production sympathetic to the vintage conditions to produce a Merlot that will express varietal characters in tune with its sense of place. Left of Skins as long as possible to ensure depth of colour and flavour our winemaking is geared toward producing a wine that is harmonious, with a minimum of two years in quality French oak."