2010 Massena Mataro

A superb example of the varietal.
The Massena venture was started by two High School mates, Dan Standish (formerly winemaker at Torbreck) and Jaysen Collins (previously manager at Turkey Flat). The duo are noted for trialling unusual varieties such as Petite Sirah, Barbera, Dolcetto, Roussanne, Saperavi and Tannat.

The Mataro is usually used as a blending component in Massena’s Moonlight Run blend with Grenache and Shiraz, however, a heat wave during flowering in late 2009 decimated their 2010 Grenache crops. Fortunately, 2010 was an exceptional vintage for Mataro – a very long, cooler vintage meant plenty of hang time for the Mataro to develop proper physiological ripeness. Normally Mataro alone can be a bit tannic and hard, but this vintage had more fruit, flesh, and spice. Additionally some good light summer rains towards the end of vintage helped avoid hyrdric stress and therefore any hard, dry tannins.
Sourced from a single vineyard located just to the west of the town of Nuriootpa on the road to Greenock, it’s soils range from beach like sand at its northern end, through heavy red clay to rich loam at the southern end. This soil variation gives differing crop levels, berry sizes and ripeness levels which provide a level of complexity directly from the vineyard.

As one of the best straight Mataro’s we’ve tasted, this is a must try if you’ve not experienced this varietal before.
Maturation took place in older 300L hogsheads and 500L puncheons for 15 months. Opaque black dark red colour with deep dark red hue. Lifted aromas of liquorice, black cherry and a touch of dark chocolate are followed by some earth and spicy end notes. Rich and full bodied the palate delivers sumptuous flavours of ripe black plum and dark cherry intertwined with some chocolate bullets followed by some subtle earthy characters and a very spicy back palate. Velvet smooth tannins enhance the wines plush texture. Long black plum, chocolate bullet and spicy earth aftertaste.
Cellar 5-6 years (2018-2019).
Alc 14.5%