Jester Malbec 2021

Story

The life of the party, the instigator of frivolity, the undying entertainer. A modern-day jester gathers friends around regularly to eat and drink well, and much like their medieval predecessors, reminds us that life shouldn’t be taken too seriously.

Tasting Note

Opulent aromas of sweet cherry, blackcurrant, cedarwood and mocha. Medium to full bodied palate with richness and depth. Sweet cherry, spiced blood plums and hints of Christmas pudding, coffee and dry spices. All perfectly balanced by succulent acidity, fine grained chewy tannins and a long savoury finish.

Winemaking

Destemmed and crushed into an 8 tonne potter fermenter with twice daily pump overs throughout ferment. Temperatures were kept cool, between 20 and 24˚C to retain fruit vibrancy and ensure a soft tannin structure. The ferment was pressed off at approximately 1 Baume to finish in stainless steel tank before being transferred to seasoned 60% French and 40% American oak hogs head barrels for 14 months. Natural malolactic fermentation was completed during this time, following which the wine was racked, sulphured and returned to oak to complete its maturation. No finings and only light filtration were used prior to bottling.

Vineyard

Lopresti Home Block, Hahn Road, Sellicks Hill, McLaren Vale.

Less than 2 kilometres from the coastal town of Aldinga and only 4 kilometres from the beach itself. Ngaltinga Formation derived alluvial grey sandy clay and biscay soils with pockets of sand interbeds. These highly reputed soils maintain moisture during the growing season but dry out in summer which helps to control vine vigour and concentrate flavours in the fruit. Cooling sea breezes off the Gulf St Vincent cool the vineyard and help to retain freshness and vibrancy.

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