Sangiovese has clearly found its home-away-from-home on Heathcote's ancient red soils, staking a legitimate claim as a world-class destination for this ancient Italian grape. Our plantings are a mix of mature and teen blocks in which we have the guilty pleasure of access to 7 different clones of Sangiovese: a heady choice of superior modern Italian selections plus a mysterious suitcase clone from Montalcino, allegedly smuggled into Aus some decades ago. Mostly dry-farmed, these vines live with minimal intervention amidst our interplanted ecosystem, using regenerative techniques. From here we choose our clones based on complementary flavour profiles through to harvest. The fortunate clusters are hand-picked & whole-berry fermented in open-top batches seducing us to deliver personalised loving care. After macerating at length on skins, 8 Track Sally swirls away for 14 months in a concrete egg to soften, marry and enhance aromatic intensity, before bottling unfined and unfiltered. The 2023 vintage is an enticing union of fruit-driven & savoury characters persisting across a decadently rich yet pillowy-soft palate of extensive finish. 100% Sangiovese rustic clones.
