Following harvest and the crush, juices are vinified over a period of several days on their skins in headed down, steel fermenters, pumped over twice daily to ensure maximum extraction of colour and flavour. Once pressed off skins while still slightly sweet (approximately 2 baume), the wine was pumped to a selection of new and seasoned French and American oak barrels to finish primary and malolactic fermentation. Upon completion, the wine was racked off its lees and pumped back into refreshed barrels for maturation. During the first six months of ageing, barrels are racked by hand to achieve the required clarity and to assist in the wine's development.