Wine Article
2015 Blue Poles Allouran
Last edited on 10/31/2019 by LindsayM
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2015 Allouran
The sky is a thick purple when storms approach from the east, it makes you tremble knowing the potential vine damage it brings in those roiling clouds. In October 2014, this was the case for two days as hail and storms lashed inland WA and let me watch from the vineyard but fortunately to not partake. A wine is never made on the lazy autumn days in which the grapes are harvested, a wine is made in spring and summer – every nuance of wind, rain, and shine plays a critical role in getting that eventual wine balanced and rich, and most of all delicious.
In the case of the 2015 vintage we started with a cool but relatively dry October to December – even growth and even temperatures meant we set a small but well spread crop and vine health was perfect. No mildew pressures or hungry insects were distracting the vines in these critical months of flowering and fruit set. Summer months of January and February were warm and dry – almost totally dry – and the heat was pre-set avoiding any days over 36°C.
By March the grapes were in great shape, checking early in the month showed how they had evenly ripened and all look set for a stroll through picking. But the weather had other plans and major downpours occurred on the 16th and 20th March – with our picking dates for the grapes being 17th for the Merlot and 19th for the Cabernet Franc avoiding the issues caused by the rain. The Merlot was exceptional, glorious and concentrated, and the Cabernet Franc was fragrant and lifted with the finest of tannins.
The fruit was severely thinned prior to veraison, and handpicked early on each morning. Any grapes that were considered not good “enough to eat” were dropped on the ground. The technical data on these grapes are as below:
Technical Details
Merlot:
Picked 17 March 2015
Total weight 6,324 kg
Baume 13.2
pH 3.35
TA 5.80
Cabernet Franc:
Picked 19 March 2015
Total weight 3,190 kg
Baume 13.0
pH 3.56
TA 5.10
The wine was curated by Clive Otto and Kate Morgan and fermented in a closed vat and continuously “pumped over” to extract colour and tannins softly, with ferment being completed after 14 days. The wine was pressed and placed in French oak barrels and stored for 22 months.
The 2015 Allouran is a blend of 74% Merlot / 26% Cabernet Franc. It combines the richness and concentration of the exceptional Merlot with the structure and fragrancy of the Cabernet Franc – making one of the most famous Bordeaux blends and giving up a wine of exceptional balance and length. It is the wine that represents Blue Poles and all that we stand for – it is the reason for the season one could say!
This 2015 Allouran is a beautiful wine – the balance of the palate and the synergy of the grapes makes for a seamless and complex wine. Built to age, but with the finest of tannins so as to make it even approachable in its youth, this wine will gain further weight with age or upon opening.
The sky is a thick purple when storms approach from the east, it makes you tremble knowing the potential vine damage it brings in those roiling clouds. In October 2014, this was the case for two days as hail and storms lashed inland WA and let me watch from the vineyard but fortunately to not partake. A wine is never made on the lazy autumn days in which the grapes are harvested, a wine is made in spring and summer – every nuance of wind, rain, and shine plays a critical role in getting that eventual wine balanced and rich, and most of all delicious.
In the case of the 2015 vintage we started with a cool but relatively dry October to December – even growth and even temperatures meant we set a small but well spread crop and vine health was perfect. No mildew pressures or hungry insects were distracting the vines in these critical months of flowering and fruit set. Summer months of January and February were warm and dry – almost totally dry – and the heat was pre-set avoiding any days over 36°C.
By March the grapes were in great shape, checking early in the month showed how they had evenly ripened and all look set for a stroll through picking. But the weather had other plans and major downpours occurred on the 16th and 20th March – with our picking dates for the grapes being 17th for the Merlot and 19th for the Cabernet Franc avoiding the issues caused by the rain. The Merlot was exceptional, glorious and concentrated, and the Cabernet Franc was fragrant and lifted with the finest of tannins.
The fruit was severely thinned prior to veraison, and handpicked early on each morning. Any grapes that were considered not good “enough to eat” were dropped on the ground. The technical data on these grapes are as below:
Technical Details
Merlot:
Picked 17 March 2015
Total weight 6,324 kg
Baume 13.2
pH 3.35
TA 5.80
Cabernet Franc:
Picked 19 March 2015
Total weight 3,190 kg
Baume 13.0
pH 3.56
TA 5.10
The wine was curated by Clive Otto and Kate Morgan and fermented in a closed vat and continuously “pumped over” to extract colour and tannins softly, with ferment being completed after 14 days. The wine was pressed and placed in French oak barrels and stored for 22 months.
The 2015 Allouran is a blend of 74% Merlot / 26% Cabernet Franc. It combines the richness and concentration of the exceptional Merlot with the structure and fragrancy of the Cabernet Franc – making one of the most famous Bordeaux blends and giving up a wine of exceptional balance and length. It is the wine that represents Blue Poles and all that we stand for – it is the reason for the season one could say!
This 2015 Allouran is a beautiful wine – the balance of the palate and the synergy of the grapes makes for a seamless and complex wine. Built to age, but with the finest of tannins so as to make it even approachable in its youth, this wine will gain further weight with age or upon opening.