Thorn-Clarke Shotfire Ridge Shiraz 2003

Comments:
Deep red in colour. Good lifted nose of raisin fruit complemented by chocolate, caramel and vanilla oak. The palate is full bodied with ripe berry fruit, creme Brule and dark chocolate. The mouthfeel is rich and viscous, with a lovely soft and approachable tannin structure. There is great length of blackberry fruit and mocha oak.

Winemaking:
Grapes are crushed and de-stemmed into open fermenters. Yeast is added immediately once in the fermenter, ferments are then pumped over twice daily to maximise colour, tannin and flavour extraction. Cooling is used to ensure ferments remain in the 22-25°C range which will allow the wine to display maximum fruit expression. Pressing then occurs approximately seven days after crushing and the resulting wine is put into French and American oak.