Winemaker Notes
"This one is the best wine we have made under the Shiraz label, being a similar vintage to the 2001. The key to Forefathers is balance and complexity with underlying power. On the palate the wine is firm, textural and viscous. The long silky mouth makes the wine drink beautifully now, and will improve over the next five years. In 2003 we had very low yields culminating in big pepper spice flavors and very supple tannins. A wine that will be hard to have only one glass!" - Nick Goldschmidt Winemaker
Professional Ratings
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, McLaren Vale is home to perhaps the most “classic” style of Australian Shiraz. Vinified on its own or in Rhône Blends, these hot-climate wines are deeply colored and high in extract with signature hints of dark chocolate and licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced in a similar style.
Whites, often made from Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc tend to be opulent and full of tropical, stone and citrus fruit.