Los Hermanos 2010 Tempranillo

Fruit

The grapes were sourced from our leased Patterson Lakes vineyard located 20km north of the Mornington Peninsula in the Port Phillip region and at the Symphonia vineyard located at Myhree in the King Valley. Each portion of fruit provides a regionally specific character that further enhances the overall blend. 
Harvest dates and fruit analysis were as follows:
Patterson Lakes: 25 March 2010, Be 12.7
King Valley: 6th March 2010, Be 13.0 

Winemaking

The grapes were hand harvested and immediately destemmed to open fermenters where the fermentation process was allowed to commence spontaneously with indigenous yeast. In an effort to better express clean fruit characters the ferments were pumped over aeratively once per day and hand plunged twice. Once dry, the grapes were pressed to tank and then racked to older oak barriques and hogs head barrels for 10 months of maturation. The resulting wine was then assembled in tank and lightly filtered prior to bottling.

Bottling

Feb 2011. Sealed under screw cap.

Technical Information

Alc. Vol : 13.5%
Residual sugar : 0.33 gms. per litre [dry]
Ph : 3.63
Total acidity : 6.07 gms. per litre

Winemaker's tasting notes 

In Spanish terms this wine has been produced in the 'joven' or youthful style - meaning it exhibits only the vibrant fruit characters of Tempranillo without the encumbrances of sweet or toasty oak. Characters of plums, cherries and spice fill the nose, leading to a firm dry palate of blackberries and dark chocolate. Ultimately this wine, we believe, is a true representation of the Tempranillo grapes. Made in the 'drink young' style this wine will provide great enjoyment over the coming 18 months, though it has plenty of structure and acidity, ensuring longevity well into the future. 

Rollo Crittenden