Behind the scenes
For the five vintages prior to 2018, grapes for this beautiful magenta-coloured, organic wine came from six established growers in South Australia: the Carypidis family based in Virginia, the Barich family on the Murray River at Loxton, the Palena family in the Riverland and the Strachans in McLaren Vale. More Strachans, from Renmark, joined the 2018 vintage, plus Yalumba’s own biodynamic grapes at Waikerie were added. They all farm the vines organically, without any chemical fertilisers or pesticides, then leave the wine to ‘wild ferment’ with yeast that occurs naturally in the vineyard and on the grape skins, which creates extra complexity and flavour. The result is an aromatic wine with notes of violets, lavender, fennel, blueberries and plums and then black pepper. It’s medium-bodied with plush, soft tannins and a bright juicy finish.