2020 CHERUBINO, Apostrophe Red Blend. Great Southern, W Aus.

This is a blend of 32% Counoise, 25% Grenache, 18% Shiraz, 15% Mencía, 10% Mourvèdre.

Cherubino is a modern-day producer established in 2005 by husband and wife team Larrry and Edwina Cherubino – based in Margaret River in Western Australia. They have holdings in Margaret River, Great Southern, and Pemberton, and Larry oversees all the winemaking. Part of their outward looking thinking and winemaking is to construct dynamic and innovative blends of grape varieties, rather than a solus varietal approach.

Fruit was hand picked and each variety fermented separately in small lot fermenters. Larry was looking for gentle extraction levels for every variety. Each one was then aged in a mix of new and one year old oak casks for between 6-8 months, prior to the final blending. 2020 was a very good vintage, although painfully dry, saved by welcome rains in February. Yields were very low, but fruit flavours were pure, ripe, and juicy.

Dry and medium bodied, with plum and bright red and black berry flavours. Juicy and upfront with fine grained tannins and well balanced.