Our Wines - 2009 Divine Mataro
Divine
The Wine
Medium dark red in hue with purple highlights, the aromas are pure Mataro goodness and 2009 was a cracking vintage for the variety. Deep rich plummy characters mesh with blackberry and blackcurrant along with a blast of wild cherry. Earthy varietal characters abound along with hints of roasting meats, Asian spice, Hoi Sin, dark chocolate, polished leather, licorice, clove, herbs and smoky oak.
In the mouth the initial fruit attack is energetic and displays that rich, savoury gait that we love from the variety. Flavours of opulent black plum, blackberry and wild cherry are supported by hints of five spice, clove, dark chocolate, licorice, smoky, well-judged oak, leather and veal jus. The wine is earthy, medium-bodied and displays a fine, vibrant line of acidity and freshness as it flows through to a long finish showing ripe, melt-in-the-mouth tannins.
Drink now or cellar for 10-15 years.
The Winemaking
Fermented on skins in an open top barrel for 14 days and then gently basket pressed, this ultra small parcel of wine was then transferred to a 100% old French(100%) Octave for 24 months maturation.
Once matured the wine was bottled unfiltered and then spent 12 months maturing in bottle in our warehouse prior to release.
Bottled – March 7th 2011
Alc -14.8%
pH – 3.58
The Vineyard
The grapes were grown on the out skirts of Greenock, home of some of the most extraordinary grapes. These gnarly old bush vines were planted in the 1880’s in sandy loam topsoil over light clay.
Cropped at 1.2 tonnes per acre, these 57 vines were hand picked on April 4th when optimum flavours and balance were achieved in the grape.
- Stuart Robinson - The Wine Wankers
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2011
Yelland & Papps Divine Mataro 2009
Yelland & Papps is Michael and Susan Papps (née Yelland), and was established in 2005. Sourcing fruit from largely old vine material in the Greenock sub-region. Resultant wines exhibit the characteristics of the locale, rich and full bodied.
This Mataro comes from 57 gnarly, hand picked bush vines planted around the 1880's, in its beloved loam over clay. Only one hundred bottles made, thus this wine represents 1% of the entire production. Open fermented on skins for 14 days before gentle basket pressing, 24 months maturation in old French oak, before bottling unfiltered. Much love.
On visual impact alone the wine delights. I referred to it - and the wine itself - as the Prince of Darkness meets George Clooney in his finest Armani suit. It has the dark concentration and underlying brooding darkness of good Mataro, yet it's smooth, refined and a pleasure to be in the company of. Seductive black cherry and plum aromatics, the old oak supporting the wine and assisting in the concentration of flavour. The body is silken, smooth with chocolate and mocha. There is an intensity, and a depth to the wine more than equivalent to the punt on the bottle.
Over two days the wine barely budged, in anything it became more focussed with greater shape being noted, channelling the wine, effortlessly flowing across the tongue towards the finish.
Tannin is extremely fine, there's hallmark spice, and it would be remiss to fail to mention the lack of heat that I have seen in other examples of Mataro recently. Beautiful balance and all up this is simply an exquisite example of the style. Exceptional.
Source: Sample
Price: $102
Alcohol: 14.8%
Closure: Screwcap
Website: yellandandpapps.com - 96 points - Brown (RB) - Red To Brown
Sunday , February 12, 2012
Yelland and Papps 2009 Divine Mataro (Sample)
RedtoBrown’s first exposure to the Yelland and Papps Divine range of premium wines was the 2008 Divine Shiraz - an ambitious wine and a very good result given the vintage. The 2009 Divine range has been expanded with a Grenache and Mataro joining the Shiraz.
The 2009 Divine Mataro is a dark, brooding, yet at the same time, smooth, opulent and seductive wine. It is made from hand-picked old bush vine fruit that was yielding fruit in the 1880s. On the nose, black tarry fruit does a slow dance with turned earth and complex spice. The palate has layers of blood plumb, blackberry, earth, tar and liquorice, with a chocolate / mocha seam that runs from beginning to end. The tannins are fine while still being robust, the old French oak a subtle support player. adding structure. It finishes with a dark earthiness without excess alcohol heat or tannin.
If I were not tasting (as opposed to drinking) this wine, it would not have lasted the day – such is its lure. However, as we trend to do with the red wine samples, I came back to this wine over several days. On days two and three, the fruit became a bit more prominent, and on day five, the tannins had retreated further, yet the structure and poise remained. To sum it up, it did not fall over by the time the bottle was finished. The wine was drinking well after 5 days, fruity, savoury and structured, suggesting it will age superbly. So convinced with this, I put my money where my mouth is – a bottle of this is now in the cellar and will not be coming out for a long time.
Yelland and Papps have made a truly impressive wine here. It is great to see Australian wineries in multiple regions releasing increasing numbers of wines in this mould: hand-picked, carefully sourced and sensitively crafted, wines that have a personal touch and that speak of place. It is becoming clichéd to say this type of thing, though the quality of the Yelland and Papps Divine Mataro justifies it.
Rating – 96 pts
ABV 14.8
Closure - Screwcap