Symphony Hill Wines 2017 Tempranillo

The fruit is from Toppers Mountain Wines in the New England GI. I guess if you were sourcing non-local GI fruit for your Granite Belt Wine then the red oxide volcanic soils of the Toppers Mountain Vineyard would be an excellent choice.2017 tempranillo

Dark and impenetrable in the glass with a glowing ruby meniscus. The bouquet opens with dark cherries and cola, cedar and a distinct earthy quality, some orange rind and a little vanilla.

True to the bouquet a full and flavoursome palate features dark cherries and cola, an orange rind thing happening and vanilla. There are also kalamata olives and cloves with a little cardamon. Well balanced acid and a lovely chalky drying tannin finish that provides length and enjoyment. However the truly distinctive feature of this wine is a dusty earthy mineral quality which is in the bouquet but provides a foundational palatal undercarriage to all the other aspects of the wine. I can only account for this quality by reference to the soils of Toppers Mountain Wines. If you have ever tried any of the Nerello Mascalese/Cappuccio wines from Mt Etna then you may relate a little to what I mean here.

Another beautiful tempranillo, from a Granite Belt Winery, which assuaged gastronmic mastery when paired with slow cooked organic grass fed Ossoc Bucco from the Granite Belt’s Boss Meats Butcher.

The wine is only 12.5% alcohol by volume which probably reflects the challenge that Cyclone Debbie presented to the 2017 vintage veraison, so a quite remarkable result given the conditions

Tasted: Sunday 25th April, 2021 without food and then with over several hours.
Alcohol: 12.5%
Closure: Screwcap
Price: $40
Suggested Drinking Window: 2019 to 2026
Winemaker: Mike Hayes
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Posted by Peter Pacey

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