Summary: For a small winemaker, Woods Crampton has achieved a lot in a small amount of time. Part of the Barossa new wave, Woods Crampton make contemporary wines, balancing character, complexity and freshness, a world away from the fruit bombs of the past. The Woods Crampton coloured range is a collection of contemporary and thought provoking blends that place drinkability as the highest ambition.

 

Vineyards: Sourced from a number of low yielding old-vine vineyards from the eastern ranges of the Barossa Valley, primarily in the Vine Vale sub district.

 

Winemaking: What is effectively a field blend of primarily Barossa Valley Mataro with a small portion of Grenache and Shiraz is given a chill in the fridge before being pressed. No skin contact post pressing was allowed.  The juice is then transferred to large format (four hundred eighty litre) old oak puncheons where wild yeast fermentation is allowed to initiate. The fruit is fermented in barrel until dry without malolactic fermentation. Once fermentation is completed, the wines was matured on yeast lees in barrel for six months. 

 

Vintage 2017: 2017 saw a return to vintage conditions not commonly seen for over two decades. A very wet winter followed by a cool summer with few spikes of heat meant that vintage as up to a month later than what has been common recently. A dry and consistently moderate autumn ensured the fruit was able to ripen slowly in ideal conditions. This “throwback” vintage will become famed for the quality and elegance of the fruit.

 

Tasting Note: Very pale in colour – six years in the making. The nose is lifted and expressive with aromas redcurrants, rosehip and spice. The palate is light in body, more elegant and less serious than previous vintages. The wine builds nicely through red berried (not candied) fruit to a beautifully balanced palate wrapped in layers of complexity and texture. The finish is well-structured and impressively dry. An intriguing alternative to the classic Provence style – just as dry but with more flavour, complexity and grip