Winemaker Notes
-IWC
A very good friend of mine challenged me to produce a full-bodied Barossa Valley Shiraz with the only criteria that it could be drunk young at lunch or dinner and did not stray from my fundamental wine making philosophies i.e. French oak, fine-grained tannins, balance, clear fruit expression etc! Those who know me well know that I just love a good challenge!
The colour of 2003 Ned & Henry's Shiraz is deep red with a purple hue. The aroma is distinctively Barossa Valley Shiraz: black and red, ripe fruits with a solid, concentrated core. Matured in only French oak, the fruit is interwoven with pepper, nutmeg and clove. The seamless class of perfectly ripe Shiraz and French oak is a stand-out here.
The palate structure of Ned & Henry's delivers in every aspect of the brief. The fruit flavours of Shiraz are full and concentrated yet soft and supple. The tannins are gentle yet persistent and completely mould into the wine. Ned & Henry's Shiraz is most definitely full-bodied: chocolate, blackberry and dark-earth characters. Yet the wine has great balance and poise and carries that signature called 'drinkability'.
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.”
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.