Corymbia Red Blend 2022

The tale of vintage is always best told by our wine label. July winter rains exceeded average which were then backed up in October. Timely winter and spring rains are critical for our dry grown vineyard’s survival in one of the warmest wine growing regions of Australia. The heatwave that followed meant that we didn’t need to roast the turkey on Christmas Day. Despite the baking 43’C, the east-west row orientation and healthy leaf canopies provided that perfectly dappled light that us winemakers hark on about. These vines are resilient, they lapped up the hot east winds and blazing sunshine, shouting from the rooftops that 2022 was a great year in the Swan Valley! Evidence is in the glass.

Certified Organic.

The Fruit
We dedicate our single vineyard Swan Valley wines to Rob’s late father and former Australian Test Cricketer Tony “Rocket” Mann. Tony and Rob planted Rocket’s Vineyard together on their family property in the Swan Valley more than 35 years ago, on what was an old currant vineyard. The fruit is dry grown, organically farmed by Rob and Genevieve Mann. In July 2022 we proudly achieved “certified organic” status with ACO Certification Ltd.

The Wine
The grapes were harvested by hand on the same day. Organic farming with acute attention to detail enabling us to pull off the impossible, Tempranillo and Malbec ready for harvest on the same day. The Tempranillo and Malbec fruit was individually berry sorted and combined prior to carbonic maceration and natural co-fermentation in a single French oak vat. 25% whole bunch Tempranillo was included in the mix. Maturation followed in seasoned 600 litre French oak demi-muids for 10 months. A dark, brooding, magenta colour stimulates the senses from the outset. Seductive aromatics of mulberry, sour cherry, roasted nori and pimento pull you in closer. The senses are complete with the first sip; a slightly tart, slightly salty, slightly sweet sensation weaves through the palate. Pomegranate, cocao and squid ink umami lead the way through to a crunchy, vibrant, juicy, fleshy, turgid, lip smacking and moreish finish!

The Label
Corymbia calophylla is the botanical name for the West Australian marri tree which grows tall and strong on the state’s best vineyard sites. The image is a graphical expression of the 12-month climatic data for the vintage year, whose form represents the marri blossom in full bloom. The 365 stamens represent the daily minimum and maximum temperatures against the monthly average. The darker colored blocks represent the monthly & average rainfall. January is at 12 o’clock and the red stamen was the harvest date. The infographic mimics our natural environment as its form changes subtly each year and is the purest expression of the vintage conditions in which our fruit was grown. Label design by graphic designer Emma Mann.