The making of quality fortifieds is a great McWilliams winemaking tradition. The warm and dry conditions of Australia are ideal for making fortified wine; enabling all the varieties to ripen superbly and produce great richness of flavour.
Vinification and Maturation - The grapes were harvested, crushed and fermented on skins for 10 days to extract colour and fine tannins. Partial fortification on skins using neutral spirit, to aid in integration, further flavour enhancement and overall complexity. Portions of this wine were aged in old oak to promote development of rancio characters. Whereas, others were stored in tank to preserve freshness and fruit intensity. Blending took place using components from both old-oak within a solera system and those stored in tank. A small portion of sweet white gordo was also used in the final blend to add floral lift and lusciousness. Wine was then cold stabilized, filtered and stored in tank prior to bottling.
Palate - Soft and rounded with luscious mid-palate and a sweet lingering finish.
McWILLIAM'S FAMILYThe McWilliam's family name stands for a long history of excellence in winemaking, a tradition which stretches back to the earliest days of the Australian wine industry. Since 1877, when founder Samuel McWilliam first planted vines on the banks of the Murray River in New South Wales, the McWilliam family have produced six consecutive generations of winemakers.The wines made by McWilliam's are more than just benchmark expressions of Australian winemaking. They are wines that draw on more than 140 years of experience, wines that tell a story of a family's passion for winemaking.