2020 Singlefile Small Batch Mataro
AVAILABLE TO LOGGED IN COLLECTOR AND APPRECIATOR WINE CLUB MEMBERS
VINEYARD & WINEMAKING
Mataro (also known as mourvèdre or monastrell) is probably best known as the ‘M’ in “GSM”. Singlefile has been producing Clément V, a GSM blend, for a number of years. The 2020 mataro looked exceptional; hence we made the decision to produce a single varietal mataro.
The fruit is from the Riversdale Vineyard in Frankland River, Great Southern. Mataro is well suited to the warm days and cold nights of the sub-region and it prospers in the gravelly soils.
Harvested on the 25th March 2020, the fruit was picked and cold soaked for three days in a small open fermenter. Wild fermentation started naturally and a select yeast strain was added to the ferment. The wine was pressed into French oak barrels where it stayed for ten months before bottling.
THE WINE
A medium bodied mataro with earthy aromas, blueberry, plum and spice. These characters follow through on the palate with a medium weight and textured mouthfeel. Oak takes a back seat as the fine tannins lead to a long and flavoursome finish.
CRITIC REVIEWS OF NOTE
2020
94 points, New Release Wine Show, Winestate Magazine, May/June 2022
We tasted it several times, first as soon as we uncorked it (yes, there is a cork!): lots of red fruit, white pepper and a very pleasant length in the mouth. We were surprised by the colour, a relatively light red, a bit like a pinot noir for a wine that has a lot of body and that we would like to drink with meats in sauce or game.
The next day we decanted it and there... A velvety sensation on the tongue, the sophistication of the oak barrel, a hint of dark chocolate, tobacco and always red fruits, mainly blackberries and blueberries. We really enjoyed it! I think we'll try to forget a bottle in the back of our cellar to see what it will be like in 5 or 6 years.