Growing Conditions

The grapes for this wine were the 9th and 10th vintage off twelve and thirteen year old vines. The vineyard aspects range from North East to North West, against rugged mountain slopes.

Harvest

All grapes were hand-picked, hand sorted and crushed into medium sized open top fermenters.

Bottling

A light filtration preceded bottling in November 2015

Winemaking

Punch-downs and pump-over’s were performed three to four times per day, these practices being determined by twice daily tastings of the tanks. Fermentation took 9 days to complete, after which the free run wine was drawn off and the skins pressed separately.

Aging

The wine was then racked into first, second and third fills barrels where malo-lactic fermentation took place. Six different cooperages were used, each specifically chosen to complement the different nuances of this very complex wine. During maturation, the wine was racked three times. After 18 months in barrel the best barrels were racked to tank and blended to create a harmonious finished product.

Nose

This wine exhibits intense flavours of dark berries and spice, with an underlying hint of mocca and tabacco aromas. Meticulous attention in the vineyard and cellar combine to produce a wine with textured fruit purity and tantalizingly firm yet balanced tannins. As with all Eagles’ Nest red’s there is a subtle peppery savouriness that makes this wine both distinctive and gives testament to its origin on a cool wind swept mountainside.

Palate

The palate is a satisfying combination of perfectly ripe berry fruit, subtle spice, with a persistent mouthfeel. This wine is ready to drink now but will benefit from correct cellaring until 2030.