2020 After Five Wine Co.
Single Vineyard Montepulciano
$35.00
A powerful wine that delivers a crunchy lively textural palate showing fine tannin that is very consistent across the palate and natural acidity that drags fruit to the very back of the palate, all the elements that this variety delivers.
97 in stock
Vineyard: Single Vineyard - Stansborough Vineyard, Williamstown.
The site is around 260-280m above sea level with an east west aspect. Soil consists of a shallow red clay top soil over friable red clay with bands of quartz, ironstone and shale. The vineyard was planted in 2011 and is own rooted, clone is SAV1101. The vines are spur pruned. The mid rows have been cultivated to winter active fescue and the vineyard has been run organically since late mid-2017.
Winemaking:
The fruit was picked on the 28th March.
All the fruit was destemmed and lightly crushed (rollers open) to one open fermenter with header boards. Temperatures were allowed to reach 28C, the open fermenter was pumped over 3 times per day. After 13 days on skins the open fermenter was basket pressed and transferred into 1 x new French oak hogshead with the balance to 1-4 year old French oak hogsheads and underwent malo-lactic fermentation. After malo-lactic fermentation the wine was racked from barrel, SO2 was added and then the wine was then transferred back to the same oak and matured for another 16 months. No finings used.
Tasting Notes:
Vibrant colour, complex aromas of plum cherry and dried herbs. A medium bodied wine that still manages a balance between vibrant fruit and firm but fine tannin and packs all the elements that this variety delivers, natural acidity delivers palate length.
Cellaring:
Drink now or cellar carefully and enjoy over the next 8 years.
Analysis
Alc/vol 13.4 % TA 6.08 g/l pH 3.41 RS 1.8 g/l , VA 0.66 g/l
Current Vintage Accolades
2020 Vintage
Wine Showcase Magazine – 96 points
Regan Drew (Wine Pilot) – 93 points
Brendan Black (Wine Pilot) – 92 points
Dave Brookes (Halliday Wine Companion) – 90 points
Barossa Wine Show – Bronze Medal
Previous Vintages
2019 Vintage
2021 Barossa Wine Show – Silver Medal
2021 National Wine Show – Silver Medal
2022 ANZ Boutique Wine Show – Silver Medal
Wine Showcase Magazine – 95 points
Andrew Caillard – 92 points
Winestate Magazine – 92 points
Wine Pilot (Angus Hughson) – 91 points
Adelaide Wine Show – Bronze Medal
Australian Small Winemakers Wine Show – Bronze Medal
2018 Vintage
2019 Barossa Wine Show – The JBG Architects Trophy for Class 18 – Best Red Wine – Other Varietals
2019 Barossa Wine Show – Gold Medal
2019 Australian Alternate Varieties Wine Show – Gold Medal
Winestate Magazine – 5 Stars/Equal top in class
Wine Showcase Magazine – 95 pts
Jeni Port (Halliday Wine Companion) – 95 points
James Suckling – 92 points
Reviews
Goodness they get a lot in here for 13.5%. While there’s definitive regional characters it’s chocked with plump chary, burnt-ends meatiness under globs of black plums, blueberries, blackberries and fragrant dried kitchen herbs. Palate is firm and drying, balanced by ripe fruit. Punchy acidity shares equal billing with grippy, fine tannin. Let me stand next to the spit roast lamb with a glass of this in hand and pick at sweet, crispy flesh. Regan Drew 93 points
After Five Wine Co. reflects the desire of Purple Hands to ‘showcase single vineyards that consistently produce wines of excellence and convey their Barossa sub-region’s unique quality’. Montepulciano is a variety grown predominantly in Tuscany, although its home is the Abruzzo region of Italy. The After Five version shows a heady mix of red and black fruits (blackberry, cherry, raspberry, mulberry) and a pleasing, savoury lift from pepper and baking spices, with some dried red fruits coming through from bottle age. The tannins are dusty while the palate is smooth and cheery, with the fruit singing when the wine is paired with something a little piquant, like salami or a rich pasta. Brendan Black 92 points
