The Wines
- 2014 Grenache
- 2014 Tempranillo
- 2013 Mourvèdre
- 2013 Shiraz
- 2013 Mosaic of Dreams
- 2013 Kaleidoscope Horizons
2013 Mosaic of Dreams
2013 Kaleidoscope Horizons
Icon Wines
When contemplating our zenith project that has become the Mosaic of Dreams and Kaleidoscope Horizons I feel so satisfied that this culmination of vision and vintage has finally become real. These wines are a testament to the kind of soul in wine that we aspire to. Some say we exist in the realm of romance and dabble in daydreams. Hallelujah! It’s where this project begins and ends.
Crafting our icon wines requires excruciating patience, a realisation of time and experience that until our first release of the 2009 rested in mind’s eye. It’s the reward of finally delivering them to you that drives our patience. These wines have had the luxury of extended barrel and bottle maturation through a slow and ever so gentle micro-oxidation process that allows the varietal flavours to seamlessly integrate.
Having been patient it’s ever so much more rewarding for us. Within the barn we are feeling the simmering suspense of opening night, just before the velvet curtain is drawn, deliciously stirring emotions. Three years plus on, with the combination of the 2011 vintage and the resultant high aromatic in these wines, the second release is perhaps more exciting than the first. At last we can bring them out! We can’t wait for you to get your heads and hearts around these wines.
Vintage 2011
We have all heard the flack that surrounds the ‘11 vintage and some of it was warranted in certain pockets – but McLaren Vale, largely spared of the Armageddon, prevailed. The silver lining in the cloud cover that characterised the 2011 summer are the nuanced savoury, feral elements afforded by slower ripening: where spice and wild animal come to play. If 2009 was distinctive, 2011 expresses our true colours – but we can’t drink it all ourselves as much as we’d like to... These wines have been embargoed from me, we just don’t have enough, otherwise we would have drunk the lot by now.
2013 vintage tasting notes coming soon.
The relevance of the blends
Once again there is method to our madness. The blends were crafted with a respect for the historic relevance of the varieties expressed through the equally arid landscape of McLaren Vale. We bear witness to the grace of the Southern Rhone - Grenache, Mourvèdre and Shiraz - in the sophistication and subtlety of the Mosaic of Dreams. This wine can take you to the epicentre of the glorious Rhone with everlasting fields of wild sage, sunflowers and lavender and endless blue skies. By contrast, Kaleidoscope Horizons, is an interpretation of a wilder, terracotta rusticity over the burly Iberian Peninsula’s Tempranillo and Grenache. Steeped in tradition; the story unfolds through the cante and baile of the flamenco dancers.
We foster finesse over power in these wines. Concentration is only one measure of presence: the everlasting reward is in the discovery of nuances as the aromatics unfold as fleeting as a kiss. The power lies in the perfume. Never wanting to impose on your individual journey we’re offering up our brief musings.
