Kooyong, Single Vineyard “Haven”

This single-block wine is sourced from 0.6 ha of 22-year-old vines within, as the name suggests, the most sheltered of our vineyard sites. The lack of exposure to strong winds allows the vines to keep a rich green canopy until comparatively late in the ripening period and the resulting Haven wines always possess fruit in the more purplish spectrum, with a certain richness and lushness yet a firm underlying tannic structure.

The vineyard (6.88 ha in total) comprises seven different parcels, with the same two parcels historically being selected for this wine. The fruit was entirely destemmed and fermentation took place in large-format wooden and stainless-steel tanks. Fermentation occurred spontaneously with ambient yeasts and lasted 18 days. Following fermentation, the wine was pressed and racked into French oak barriques (of which 22% were new) and underwent indigenous malolactic fermentation. The wine was racked only once, with the total maturation period lasting 14 months. It was then bottled without fining or filtration.

The 2019 Haven’s brooding, fruit-driven nose speaks strongly of the Northern growing areas of the Mornington Peninsula. Bright fruit notes of red and black cherry together with plummier tones transform into diverse aromas of dry rosemary, cooling mint and dried spices such as cardamom and anise. Fleshy, supple fruits run through the core of the palate, cajoled by fine and chewy tannins into length and drive. Dense flavours of citrus and sour cherry contribute to a powerful finish, a hallmark of Haven. While the wine feels assured now, it will develop over time as the tannins release their grip on the palate.