Winemaker Notes
#74 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2008
Hand selected from 40 year old vines on our Tatachilla Road vineyard, Uncut Shiraz requires very little intervention. Minimally pruned vines; open fermentation; gentle pressing; and minimal fining and filtration - these are our maxims for producing Uncut Shiraz. Balance in wine cannot be manufactured - it occurs naturally! In this, our 9th vintage as winemakers we have again achieved this balance. The synergy between fruit, oak, acid and tannin in the 2006 Uncut is seamless.
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.