Winemaker Notes
-90 Points Wine Spectator
"Meaty, burnt sugary aromas are deep. On the palate, tannins are chewy and red fruit is dressed up with coffee and mocha; coffee continues through the long finish. Bears some resemblance to the 1994 Reserve Shiraz, which is still going strong. Drink through 2012."
-91 Points Wine Enthusiast
"Medium ruby. Ripe, vibrant and nicely focused aromas of crushed blackberry, blackcurrant, basil, exotic incense and vanilla. Dense and thick, with round, supple flavors of dark berries, creme de cassis kirsch, mocha and roasted meat. Finishes fat and creamy without losing its focus or verve."
-91 Points International Wine Cellar
Powerful blackberries and blackcurrant flavours together with licorice and dark chocolate. These flavours are balanced by firm acidity and fully integrated tannin giving a wine of extraordinary depth and length of finish. This is the epitome of our Reserve Shiraz style.
The fruit for the Reserve Shiraz was primarily sourced from our ‘Willows Block' at Fox Creek and harvested between 14° and 14.5° Baumé. Fermentation on skins was for 8 days with a proportion of the wine (40%) completing fermentation in new American (80%) and French (20%) oak. The wine was matured for 15 months in new and 1 year old American oak. During this time it was racked 3 times allowing us to assess the quality of the wine and fine-tune our oak handling.
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.