2023 Nocturne ‘SR’ Rosé

2023, a vintage of epicness. It was goldilocks personified and you all know what goldilocks liked, she liked things just right. It was cool, yet sunny, had great spring rain but lovely long largely dry growing season. As such I would be amiss if the wine didn’t mirror this amazing season but fortunately it does.  I’m pretty sure Goldilocks was a 10, at least she was when I was 10, which is pretty much how I rate this wine. Light, fine and expressive but with phenolic crunch and freshness which is just right, 93% Sangiovese is the hero of this wine backed up with 7%-barrel fermented Tempranillo.

This wine is fine, ethereally light and delicious – not at all like porridge, but if a thief was in your house, this is the wine they would drink.

The fruit comes from the sub-region of Carbunup in Margaret River, with the sites being relatively flat and warm, with fertile, red sandy soils. The Sangiovese was harvested on the 7^th of March, on exactly the same date as the 2021, with the Tempranillo just behind it on 16^th. The Sangiovese fruit was simply destemmed, chilled and pressed using only the free-run fraction of the juice. Additionally, this cloudy full solids juice was held cold for a further 18 days, mixing it every second day to add more texture and flavour base.  It was then fermented at moderate temperatures, using, as always, indigenous yeasts only. It was then matured on gross lees for three months post-fermentation to add additional texture. The Tempranillo was hand-picked and, after chilling, the fruit was whole bunch-pressed directly to old oak puncheons for fermentation. Fermentation took close to six weeks and the wine received a further 8 weeks’ maturation in barrel. At this stage the final blend between Sangiovese and Tempranillo was decided, and the wine was emptied from tank/barrel, settled, filtered, sulphured and bottled on the 1st of July.

This wine, in keeping with the theme of SR5, is just right.  The texture and acid structure are impeccable but it’s all about extreme drinkability. Get out the linen, find someone that owns a bikini or better yet, a super yacht and get amongst it. As always, it’s a pale salmon dream. xxx  – Julian Langworthy, Nocturne