Deep plum to magenta in colour, the 2006 Genesis is a full- throttle wine of depth and complexity. Powerful secants of Satsuma plum, cedar, sweet black pepper, freshly dampened earth and vanilla pod ascend from the glass. The palate is succulent, concentrated, deep, dark and mysterious with restraint coming from the powder fine tannins and drying extract. It has more than a touch of graphite-like character, and the deftly judged natural acidity that ensures the wine finishes long, dry and spicy. It has all the elements that I am searching for in wine - complexity, vivacity, structure, and ripeness without sweetness. This wine continues my search to redefine Australian Shiraz.
So much has happened in the world since the 2006 fruit was harvested. I marvel at how resilient we Australians are in the face of the challenges that nature throws at us; be it drought, devastating fires with the accompanying tragic loss of life, floods in the north, or, the man-made economic catastrophe that now engulfs us all. Somehow, and in some way, we Australians have the capacity to pick ourselves up, stare back in total defiance, stoically gather up the shattered pieces of our world and keep going, unwilling to accept being broken, defeated, or ever contemplating surrender.
Castagna 2006 Reds
Another challenging year with yields well down, but fortunately with quality right up there with the best vintages. A rather empty looking barrel room has been a constant reminder of the highs and lows of making a living off the land. Of course the issue is not just about quantity but also quality. I am delighted with the way the 2006 reds have developed in barrel and indeed also in bottle - wines of ripeness without sweetness, full of satisfying complexity and framed with tremendous structure. These should all be long-lived. And as we ourselves have discovered when tasting, they need decanting and time to open up if you cannot wait for them to fully flower with more bottle maturation.
The Castagna Vineyard is situated at an altitude of 500 metres five-and-a-half kilometres outside the beautiful town of Beechworth in Northeast Victoria, high in the foothills of the Australian Alps. Our soil consists mainly of decomposed granitic-loam on a base of clay. The climate is distinctly Mediterranean with hot days and cool nights during the important part of the growing season. The land is farmed biodynamically; using Rudolf Steiner's biodynamic principles, because we believe it is the best way to achieve optimum fruit quality that best expresses its terroir. The vineyard is hand-pruned and the fruit is hand-picked. We crop at a bit less than two tons per acre. The winemaking is very traditional using only our own vineyard's indigenous yeast with minimal interference. Elevage varies between 18-20 months using only the very best, tight grain French oak available, about half of which is new each year. Our intention is to make, as simply as possible, wine which is an expression of the place where it is grown.
