Origin

McLaren Vale is one of Australia's premier wine regions. It has a Mediterranean climate making it ideal for growing grapes. The pristine coastline of SA is just minutes from our vineyards and the maritime influences of cool evening breezes and ancient limestone deposits in the soil are instrumental to the quality of fruit that we grow.

Winemaking

Vineyard selection is critical with each vintage of Uncut. We select the sites that consistently display the highest quality, concentration and finesse. The biodynamically grown vines age from 20-80 years. Fermentation occurs naturally in 5 tonne open fermenters, pressing off skins once the fermentation is completed, which can take up to 20 days. Ageing occurred in 100% French oak barrels ranging in size from puncheons (500L) to barriques (225L) for 16 months maturation. As with all Gemtree reds, minimal racking occurs in this time, so the wine can be aged on its lees, building mouthfeel and texture and allowing sulphur additions to be kept to a minimum to showcase the true character of the wine.

Vintage Notes

The 2012-2013 growing season brought good rain fall with McLaren Vale reaching its total average (540mm) by the end of July. Spring, however, was dry which resulted in early watering requirements to keep the vines functioning at an optimum. The dry spring resulted in lower than average crop levels. All these aspects lead to the onset of early ripening with phenological ripeness and sugar accumulation occurring in early February. Consequently picking commenced on the 8th February with excellent flavour maturity and natural acidity.