Black Elephant, Three Men in a Tub with a Rubber Duck 2019

All the fruit is hand-picked and chilled in our cold room overnight. The following day they are destemmed and transferred to 500kg fermentation bins or barrels for fermentation. We do not crush our berries, and 15% whole bunches are added to each ferment. 30mg/l SO2 is added at this stage, and no other chemical additions (acid, enzymes or tannins) are made. The grape must is allowed to macerate for 3-4days before fermentation starts spontaneously. Fermentation lasts for 7-12days at a maximum of 28°C. To extract colour, flavour and tannin from the grape skins, the must is mixed by hand 2-3 times daily according to extract and tannin development. A short post-ferment maceration is allowed to soften and focus tannins. At this stage, the wine is drained and the skins pressed using our old basket press and transferred directly to the barrel for malolactic fermentation and maturation. After completion of malolactic fermentation, the wine receives a racking to remove solids and an SO2 addition before being laid down for a 16month maturation period. At this stage, the final blend is assembled and allowed to mature for a further 3months before bottling. The wine received a light egg white fining and filtration before bottling; decanting is recommended within the first 3-5 years. The wine was matured in oak for 19months in used French oak barrels.

The three men in the Tub are Kevin, Jacques and Raymond as they say “what goes on in the tub stays in the Tub” And the Duck is not quacking!!