2009 Plantagenet Omrah Sangiovese
VINEYARDS:
We have a small area of Sangiovese planted on our Rocky Horror vineyard back in 2000. The vines grow on a northerly aspect slope in deep gravelly loam of ironstone origin. The vines are very carefully tended, with extensive canopy management and crop thinning which is so important for this normally high yielding, large bunch variety to achieve wines with deep colour and strong varietal flavours, we require.
VINTAGE COMMENTS:
This vintage was similar season to the 2008 vintage though with marginally cooler conditions and lower yields. After a cool wet spring and early Summer, a dry February and March followed allowing flavours to intensify in a relatively disease and pestilence free environment. Mild sunny days were the norm during veraison though there were a few typically chilly days scattered throughout the growing season. Fruit ripened steadily but surely under the ideal conditions, when we picked the Sangiovese on the 12th April with the impressive figures of 25.6 brix, 7.4g/l acidity and a pH of 3.48.
WINEMAKING:
Winemaking is kept simple to allow the natural qualities of Sangiovese to be expressed. Fermented in a small open fermenter, hand plunged and pressed gently after seven days fermenting. The wine spent the following 18 months in a specially designed tank that breathes to replicate aging in barrel. A few rackings only were required before bottling in March 2011 with no fining and only a light filtration.
TASTING NOTES:
A lovely little Sangiovese showing cherry/cranberry fruit aromas with an underlying dash of tar and graphite.
A long, lithe, sinewy palate with a sweet core of cherry fruit, a core of fine grain tannins so typical of the variety with a long complex finish. Just crying out for some pizza or pasta.
TECHNICAL DETAILS :
14.4% Alcohol, 6.4 g/L total acid, pH 3.52