Dry River Tempranillo

2016 Dry River Craighall Tempranillo

Four subsequent years of dry conditions had severely impacted the Tempranillo.  With hard pruning necessary during winter, the yields were always going to be low for this wine, and only 400 bottles have been produced.  This is also the last year we will release this wine as a single variety wine; it is now part of our new blend The Twelve Spies.

The colour is of a purple core with a red garnet fringe.  Only one older, large barrel was required for the small amount produced; this preserved the fruit characters as anticipated.  Dark fruit tones of ripe brambleberries, blackcurrants, and lighter raspberries provide a freshness.  On the other side, there is nougat, mulled wine spices and stewed red fruit compote that show the darker side of the wine. Further complexity comes unexpectedly from thyme and oyster shells.

Intense, dark, dense fruit with deep flavours make for a full-bodied wine which is summoned down to a more shy level by the acidity. Initially, the tannins are gentle in nature, especially on the front of the palate. However, they are not to be underestimated, for they built outwards from the core and strengthen in their presence towards the side of the mouth.  Courteously, they reside towards the end, leaving a smooth and seamless finish at the back. 

In line with the Tempranillo wines in our cellar, we see a gradual evolution over three to six years to reach full drinking potential.

2015 Dry River Craighall Tempranillo

With its Spanish heritage; the 2015 dry, warm summer and autumn were very conducive ripening conditions to produce a passionate, warm blooded and ?from the heart? wine.

The youthful ardent character is reflected by floral violets, lilies and fruit of the forest.  Winter warming aromas like cinnamon, cloves and caramel balance out the primary perfume.  Prolonged time in barrel, 18 months, gave rise to further development and evolution of aromas like desiccated toasted coconut, mocha and roasted coffee beans.

On the palate, the extra time was beneficial too.  The wine displays a lively dynamic, yet a rigidity that reveals a mature stamina.  This likely stems from the interaction between the acidity and tannins which will require some additional development to temper their presence.  For the time being ample fruit density encapsulates this structure with blackberries, cassis and boysenberries.  Dark chocolate, leather and tobacco leaf further fill the veins.  

The voluptuous and complex wine will benefit from decanting in its early stage of development, we therefore recommend to cellar for three to five years, or more.

2013 Dry River Tempranillo

When following the tradition of this Spanish variety, this wine would be classified as a Reserva: one year in barrel and two years in bottle prior to release.  With this delay, the evolution of the tannins certainly benefitted by embedding them more in the general profile of the wine and improve their integration.  We decided with the release of this Tempranillo, to postpone the offer of our 2014 Syrah.

The colour is deep red with a ruby hue.  First impressions of coffee, mocha, and dark chocolate hint for a wine with high extract and ripeness.  This is supported by Doris plums, Port-like characters and cocoa powder, with cassis adding fresh appeal. 

The real benefit of the 2013 vintage lay in a very long autumn, allowing for perfect ripening of the skins, seeds and stems before picking.  This reflects in the tannins also, these are soft and detailed, widely spread over the palate and intricately woven in with the fruit characters.  Once in the mouth the textural impression of the wine is that it evolves from the middle of the palate outwards, with the acidity retracting the wine back towards the mid again; a dynamic experience.  Dark fruits are working simultaneously with the tannins creating a deep and cushion like finish.

Further maturation of three to five years will benefit this wine.

2012 Dry River Tempranillo

This is the last of the series of wines released from the cool 2012 Vintage. The challenge for this variety was that it was only our second vintage, which proved to be a short and sharp learning curve. Nevertheless, we are comfortable with the decisions made and seeing the development over the last eight months in bottle, we can have confidence in the wine. A dense crimson red colour indicates youth and vibrancy. The nose shows lifted aromas yet is warm and grounding. Light scattered notes of cinnamon, cloves and chocolate are mixed with cassis, blueberries and boysenberries. For Dry River, Tempranillo ripens after Pinot noir but before Syrah. Hence we can expect a gentle wine with a soft tannin profile but with a more savoury theme. We believe these are the characteristics this wine delivers on the palate. A delicate weight and texture, which is the hallmark of the 2012 vintage, combined with bright acidity lengthens the palate. Where the acidity brings out the red fruit flavours, the savoury and leather aspect is supported by the carefully chosen French oak barrels (two in total) which merely cushion the wine and balance the acidity. This is not a statement wine, though the elegant and linear focus is a distinctive charm of cool climate wines.

We advise to be conservative with your enthusiasm to open a bottle, since we believe this to be a wine with long ageing capacity, aging five to eight years is optimal.

2011 Dry River Craighall Tempranillo

Tempranillo is a Spanish grape variety known to produce wines of great concentration and ability to age. The name itself makes reference to the Spanish word for early (temprano) presumably for its ability to ripen early. Dry River is well known for doing things differently and not shying away from experimentation. We have a small planting of this variety behind the vineyard sheds at Craighall. This is our first release of Tempranillo and our first new wine since the 2006 Viognier.

In style the wine sits between our Pinot noir and Syrah. Beautiful aromatic characters of lifted florals and dark fruit, nuances of cigar box and eucalypt complete the tapestry. The young wine shows intricate and lacy tannins sitting snugly within dense fruit. After three vintages, Tempranillo is now fully accepted into the Dry River family and we are very enthusiastic about the potential of this variety. With a tannin profile not unlike Cabernet sauvignon, we see this wine developing with grace in the cellar.