96 points - "From the Rende vineyard, the heartbeat of the Vanguardist wines, in Blewitt Springs. Michael Corbett takes all his wines very seriously, and that’s no different for rosé, with his estimate predicating a decade’s cellar life. It’s certainly got the flavour depth, texture and a smartly pithy draw of grip to support the notion. An assertive orangey peach in the glass, with blood orange, tangerine, tamarind, faint red berries, white cherry, dried peach, orange blossom, cinnamon and fennel seed. None of that shouts, is overt, with the typical house savouriness at play, but there’s a density of matter, an import that leads it to gastronomic applications. It’s very good." - Marcus Ellis (Halliday Wine Companion)

95 points - It’s a more serious style, though not at the expense of charm and drinking appeal. Blood orange, pink grapefruit, redcurrant with some rosehip and fennel perfume. It’s light and frisky, but has good depth, fine dusty tannin grip, a juicy citrus tang, something a little earthy and concrete-like too, subtle strawberry and raspberry flavour, something saline too, with a good crunch and grip on a finish of excellent length. Beautifully made. It takes rosé seriously, which is always a big plus in my books. Twist my arm, but only very gently, for 95 points. Resistance is futile. Oh, and I reckon it will age well too. Bonus." - Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)

INSPIRED BY THE FLORA & FAUNA THAT THRIVE IN THIS VINEYARD. THIS COLLECTION CELEBRATES TERROIR, ITS UNIQUE ECOSYSTEM & THE VIGNERON’S CRAFT.

SINGLE SITE GRENACHE & SYRAH, RENDE VINEYARD, BLEWITT SPRINGS, MCLAREN VALE

VINEYARD: The Rende vineyard boasts an altitude exceeding 200m above sea level. The top soil is pure sand, with clay and red ironstone pockets below the surface. The rejuvenation of this vineyard has seen the return of many plants and animal species. Not all are native, and some more beneficial than others, they do however contribute to creating an ecosystem and profile true to this site.

VINTAGE OVERVIEW: Initially, from budburst to flowering, the vintage was colder than average and dry. Below-average rainfall in October and November, with a mix of cool mornings and mild days. Mid-November brought windy, cold conditions during flowering, extending the process and impacting berry set. This was followed by an unusually wet December and January, with rainfall nearly ten times higher than the previous year and disease pressure high. However, from late January, McLaren Vale saw a drastic shift to dry conditions, with 47 consecutive rain-free days and a February heatwave with four days over 37ºC.

HARVEST & VINIFICATION:
Harvest Date: Both parcels of fruit hand-picked on the single site on February 29th.
Crushing: Combined and foot-crushed as whole bunches before direct press.
Fermentation: After a night of cold settling the juice, it was rough racked and begun spontaneous fermentation in two vessels. 50/50 stainless steel tank and concrete sphere for natural fermentation at temperatures between 10-13°C. Both vessels add different attributes and character to this textural and energetic rosé
Post-Fermentation: After full malo-lactic fermentation the wine remained on gross lees for 3 months before the two components were blended and aged for 3 months on fine lees prior to bottling without fining or filtration.

TASTING NOTES: BOTANIC wines showcase the refinement and complexity of fruit and a clear expression of terroir.
Profile & Structure: Blood Orange, Fennel, Pink Grapefruit, Redcurrant, mineral acidity balanced with a touch of fine tannin. Prettiness and purity captured from time in stainless steel tank, with roundness and mouthfeel from concrete sphere, lees contact and 100% malo.
Aging: Gracefully for the next decade
Classification: Organic (not certified), Vegan Friendly, Minimal Sulphur, Natural ferments, No acid or other additions

Closure: AMORIM XPUR 44x24mm
FSO2 at bottling: 19ppm
TSO2: 37ppm
pH: 3.38, TA: 4.8g/L
Alcohol: 12.4%