The 3 red varieties were destemmed and berries crushed, only retaining approx 20% whole berry fraction onto the sorting table. Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre were fermented separately in open top stainless steel fermenters. The red wines were fermented at 24-28 degrees Celsius with commercial yeast strains suited to the varieties. The wines were removed from the skins before complete dryness in order to retain softness. The Viognier grapes were crushed, pressed and allowed to settle for 2 days at 10 degrees Celsius. The clear juice was then gravity fed to 400 liter French oak barrels and underwent natural ferment to dryness. The wine was aged for 3 months and stirred monthly to encourage the development of mid-palate and length, then blended with the red fractions. All red wines underwent MLF and 13 months of ageing in second and third fill barrels ensuring good wood/fruit integration. The wine was then blended and lightly filtered shortly before bottling..