2010 Solana Tempranillo
Winemakers - 2010 Solana Tempranillo
Blend:
91% Tempranillo, 9% Merlot
Region:
Willow Bridge Estate, Geographe, WA
Bottled:
July 2011
Release Date:
September 2011
Technical Data:
- Alcohol 13.5%vol
- Total Acidity 5.2gm/lt
- pH 3.58
- Residual Sugar 0.5gm/lt
Winemaker:
Simon Burnell and Jane Dunkley
Winemakers Notes:
~ Style ~
Medium weight, dark cherries and chocolate, something a bit exotic.
~ Background ~
Tempranillo hails from and is the most widely planted variety in most of the inland central and northern regions of Spain, most notably Rioja and Ribera del Duero where it is favoured partly for its early ripening (‘temprano’ translates as early) so as to avoid any early autumn rains tracking down off the Bay of Biscay. Unlike the plains in Spain, here in the hills of the Geographe region we rarely have to worry about early rains, however we have found that our elevation provides us with enough day / night temperature variation for Tempranillo to feel right at home, delivering excellent ‘typical’ Tempranillo characters of dark-cherries and some rich earthy characters which shouldn’t be confused with the tired and dried out characters of many of the old-school Spanish versions of the past. Our winemaking is simple, focusing on a gentle fermentation with a high proportion of whole berries to avoid extracting any of the more aggressive tannins that Tempranillo can be known for. The wine was matured in Bordeaux coopered French oak barriques (20% new, the rest one and two years old) for 14 months. As is usually the case, we found that blending in a small amount of another variety tempered some of Tempranillo's more extreme characters and made for a more 'complete' wine - in this case, Malbec worked best whereas Grenache or Cabernet Sauvignon are often used in Spain for this purpose.
~Facts and Figures ~
The season: Another excellent season.....A typically wet and windy winter and early spring came to a screeching halt as the vines started to hit their straps in October. The main growing season through to the end of April was consistently a degree or so warmer and 20% drier than the 30 year average, with less than 100mm of rain falling over those six months. A lack of significant extremes allowed us to avoid any vine-stress and harvest each variety in optimal condition.
Vineyards: This block of Tempranillo was planted in 1998 on classic free draining WA "Marri soil" (a deep layer of ironstone gravely loam over reddish friable clay) with a flat to gentle easterly aspect.
~Tasting Notes ~
Appearance: Cherry red with purple hints.
Nose:Sweet cola fruit and some pencil-shavings from the used oak. Dark cherries and dark chocolate. Chicory, toast and various spices…Sweet marshmallows defy the youthful leather, tar and earth of the tannins on the finish.
Palate: Tight and juicy upfront - a bucket of fresh cherries intertwines with some creamy vanilla and a hint of smoked meats (Tapas anyone?) followed by a balancing act between Tempranillo's firm minerally tannins and a twist of mouth-watering acidity.
Cellaring: Whilst we make this wine for immediate enjoyment, previous vintages indicate that this will will reward the patient for up to five years in the cellar.
Food pairing: Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with roast vegetables.
