Rochford Wines

Rochford Macedon Ranges Cabernet Merlot

Vintage
2000

Varieties
70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot

Style
Our aim at Rochford is to make wines that are a true expression of the vineyard and weather patterns that have created them. Typically Rochford Cabernet Merlot is finely structured with fine tannins and good fruit weight. Bottle age further builds palate structure to result in rich, full flavoured Cabernet style.

Tasting Notes
Deep plum red. Heady aromas of black current, plums, cedar and a hint of dusty earth. The palate is soft, rich and fleshy with intense flavours of chocolate and wild blackberries. It finishes with fine savoury tannin and lingering berry flavours.

Winemaking
After crushing into open top fermentors a pure yeast culture was added. Fermentation commenced within two days and then for five days the wines were hand plunged three times each day. The wine was pressed at dryness, settled for two to three days to remove large solids then racked into oak for malo lactic fermentation. After malo lactic the wine was left to settle, racked then returned to oak for a further 15 months maturation. Prior bottling the wine received a light egg white fining.

Viticultural Notes
The growing season was warm with a long mild Autumn. Both Cabernet and Merlot ripened well with sugar levels in the mid thirteens with crop levels of 2.5 tonnes per acre. Picking dates were 11th and 12th of May. As always all picking at Rochford was done by hand.

View: Current Vintages
View: Past Vintages