Winemaker Notes
The color of 2009 Miss Harry is bright red with a purple hue. The aromas are of ripe strawberry, intense red forest berries and rhubarb with layers of creamy complexity offered by the extended barrel maturation on lees.
The palate is wonderfully full, showing ripe strawberries and red plums, and has a concentrated core of fruit essence with a racy acidity that gives the wine incredible vivacity. The finish is exceptionally long. 2009 Miss Harry is quite an exceptional wine and is absolutely world-class.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Wow. What a value. What a lovely balanced red with strawberry jam and flowers galore. Full body, but not overpowering, with silky tannins and a fruity finish. Wonderful Grenache character comes out for this blend of Grenache, Shiraz, Mouvedre, Cinsault, and Carignan.
With bold fruit flavors and accents of sweet spice, Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre form the base of the classic Rhône Red Blend, while Carignan, Cinsault and Counoise often come in to play. Though they originated from France’s southern Rhône Valley, with some creative interpretation, Rhône blends have also become popular in other countries. Somm Secret—Putting their own local spin on the Rhône Red Blend, those from Priorat often include Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. In California, it is not uncommon to see Petite Sirah make an appearance.
Historically and presently the most important wine-producing region of Australia, the Barossa Valley is set in the Barossa zone of South Australia, where more than half of the country’s wine is made. Because the climate is very hot and dry, vineyard managers work diligently to ensure grapes reach the perfect levels of phenolic ripeness.
The intense heat is ideal for plush, bold reds, particularly Shiraz on its own or Rhône Blends. Often Shiraz and Cabernet partner up for plump and powerful reds.
While much less prevalent, light-skinned varieties such as Riesling, Viognier or Semillon produce vibrant Barossa Valley whites.
Most of Australia’s largest wine producers are based here and Shiraz plantings date back as far as the 1850s or before. Many of them are dry farmed and bush trained, still offering less than one ton per acre of inky, intense, purple juice.