Blend
Sangiovese (96%), Malvasia Nera (4%) CANBERRA DISTRICT
Season
The 2023/24 growing season presented good conditions for vine health in the Canberra District. A moist Spring and Summer and temperate conditions in late summer allowed the grapes to ripen in stress-free conditions, producing Sangiovese with great generosity and typicity
Viticulture
A number of clones of Sangiovese are grown on a range of vineyards across both granite and shaley soil near Murrumbateman.
Winemaking
The grapes were hand-harvested at around 13 Baumé. Fermentation with natural yeast took place in open fermenters which were worked by hand to extract flavour and tannin. Parcels went through a natural malolactic fermentation and ageing in a mix of new (10%) and seasoned Allier and Tronçais oak. Blending and bottling took place in November 2025.
Taste
Spiced redcurrant, mulberry and tobacco yield to a rich palate framed by cherries, hints of tar and firm savoury tannins.
Praise for the 2024 vintage:
"Easy to gauge a wine’s quality and deliciousness by the fact I kept sipping this thinking, 'gosh I like it'. The glass kept emptying before sentences were written here! Point is, this is drinking brilliantly now. A vibrant red hue with heady aromas of wood smoke (peaty almost), new leather and warm earth. There’s a core of tangy, juicy cherry flavour infused with woodsy spices and fleshy ripe plums with a dusting of cocoa. The raw-silk tannins add texture across the mid-weighted palate. The juicy acidity (and there's plenty of it) holds all the parts together, leaving an excellent refreshment factor. 95pts." - Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion
Praise for past vintages of the Rose Red City Sangiovese:
"Alex McKay has an affinity with Italian reds and boy, does it show here. At first deceptively light with sour cherry, warm earth and layers of spice. It builds, moves and entices. It’s complex with cherry kernels and amaro on the medium-bodied palate, Italianate tannins coat the mouth and the fresh acidity ensures the next sip is as fabulous as the previous one. 95 pts." - Jane Faulkner, Halliday Wine Companion
"Medium-full ruby to brick-red colour, with a complex and alluring bouquet of terracotta, dry leather, mellow dark fruits and a hint of dark chocolate in the background. The palate is medium-full bodied and rich, fleshy and supple, with lovely texture and drinkability, the aged mellowness a bonus. A delicious red wine, the middle-palate has a sneaky touch of chocolaty fruit sweetness and the tannins have mellowed to a nice easy stage. Really complex and a delightful drink now. And really keen value - 95 points." - Huon Hooke, The Real Review
