Sittella Avant Garde Tempranillo 2024

Accolades

94 Points – Ray Jordan
This exciting single vineyard Tempranillo is praised for handling a warm Swan Valley year exceptionally well. He notes red berry and liquorice on the nose, soft and generous medium weight fruit on the palate and a juicy succulence that is typical of the variety. A vibrant, plush, fruit forward wine that is ideal for current drinking.

Tasting Notes

• Colour
  Deep ruby with a bright, youthful edge.
• Aromatics
  An aromatic and complex fruit profile featuring blueberry, raspberry, strawberry and black cherry. Hints of red berry, liquorice, spice and subtle French oak sit in the background, along with a gentle floral lift.
• Palate
  Medium bodied, round and velvety. Plush red and blue fruits roll across the palate with notes of raspberry, cherry, a touch of liquorice and soft spice. The whole bunch component adds gentle lift and a savoury thread, while the fine grained tannins give shape without harshness.
• Finish
  Soft, long and juicy with vibrant red fruit and a fine, chalky structure that keeps it balanced and moreish.

The Avant-Garde Story

The Avant-Garde range marks a shift in style and a new direction for Sittella’s single vineyard wines. Each wine is crafted to express a specific mesoclimate and to highlight varietal character alongside regional identity. For this Tempranillo, meticulous vineyard management, lower yields and careful picking decisions ensure ripeness without excessive sugar, producing a wine that is both generous and fresh.

Viticulture and Winemaking

• Region: Swan Valley, Western Australia

• Sub region: Estate block, single vineyard

• Variety: 100 percent Tempranillo, five clones

• Soil: Clay and loam

Vineyard Practices

• Planted 2003

• Spur pruned, shoot thinned and bunch thinned to achieve optimum ripeness while keeping sugars in check

• Handpicked and bunch sorted for quality control

Vinification

• Fruit destemmed as whole berries into open top fermenters

• Fermented on top of 25 percent whole bunches and 75 percent whole berries

• Wild fermentation for complexity and aromatic lift

• Twenty two days on skins for depth of flavour and fine tannin development

• Pressed to barrel with 100 percent seasoned French oak, zero new oak

• Style kept fruit driven with subtle oak support

Technical

• Alcohol: 14.0 percent

• pH: 3.72

• TA: 6.40 g per litre

• Residual sugar: 0 g per litre

• Winemakers: Yuri Berns and Mark Wallace

• Drink: Now to 2029

Serving and Cellaring ❄️

• Serve at 15 to 17 degrees

• Decant for 30 to 60 minutes to open up the aromatics and soften the structure

• Will drink beautifully young for its juicy red fruit, but has the balance to evolve over the next five years

Food Pairing Suggestions 🍽️

• Jamon Serrano aged 18 months

• Wood fired pizza with chorizo or jamon and roasted capsicum

• Tapas plates with grilled mushrooms, meatballs and manchego

• Chargrilled lamb cutlets with smoked paprika rub

• Slow cooked pork shoulder with herbs and garlic

FAQ 🧐

Is this a heavy Tempranillo?
It sits in the medium bodied zone. Plenty of flavour and plush fruit, but with fresh acidity and fine tannins rather than heft.

Does the whole bunch make it stemmy?
No. At 25 percent whole bunch, it adds aromatic lift, a little spice and structure without any green or harsh characters.

How is Swan Valley Tempranillo different from Spanish styles?
The Swan Valley warmth gives generous fruit and plush texture, while careful picking and winemaking keep the wine fresh and balanced. Expect juicy red fruits and soft tannins rather than the more rustic, oakier styles sometimes seen in traditional regions.

A vibrant, plush and modern Swan Valley Tempranillo that shows off both the variety and Sittella’s Avant-Garde ambition in the best possible way. 🍷