Winemaker Notes
"This beauty reminded me of one of the Wine Advocate's great value picks from the late 1970s ... Chateau Souverain's 1974 Vintage Selection. Just as sexy and opulent, but made from a completely different blend, the 2004 Killerman's Run Shiraz/Grenache (60% of the former and 40% of the latter) comes from older vineyards in the Clare, Barossa, and Baroota valleys. This is a voluptuous Aussie red offering loads of cassis and black raspberry fruit along with small quantities of pepper and roasted Provencal herbs, and an opulent, full-throttle, beautifully pure, layered, impressively endowed style. Drink it over the next 3-4 years."
-Wine Advocate
A classic and complex blend of Shiraz and Grenache has created a truly balanced wine that fits perfectly the philosophy of our second ‘Killerman's Run' label that is to source the best fruit possible from a range of premium areas of South Australia. Made traditionally in small batches and matured for up to two years in older French and American oak casks before final blending and bottling unfiltered.
Intense brick red in color with crimson tints. Lifted aromas and flavors of ripe plums, prunes and subtle charry oak characters meld together. Rich and rewarding, the Shiraz and Grenache compliment one another perfectly giving a long structured finish, sweet mid palate and seamless oak fruit integration. Ripe plum, prune and coffee flavors predominate. Cellaring potential of at least 6 – 8 years.
Professional Ratings
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.
A large, climatically diverse country with incredibly diverse terrain, producing just about every wine style imaginable, Australia has a grand winemaking history and some of the oldest vines on the planet. Both red wine and white wine from Australian are wildly popular and beloved. Most of Australia's wine regions are concentrated in the south of the country with those inland experiencing warm, dry conditions and those in coastal areas receiving tropical, maritime or Mediterranean weather patterns. Australia has for several decades been at the forefront of winemaking technology and has widely adopted the use of screwcaps, even for some premium and ultra-premium bottles. Thanks to the country’s relatively agreeable climate throughout and the openness of its people, experimentation is common and ongoing.
Shiraz is indeed Australia’s most celebrated and widely planted variety; Barossa Valley leads the way, producing exceptionally bold and supple versions. Cabernet Sauvignon, Australia's second most planted variety, can be blended with Shiraz but also shines on its own particularly in Coonawarra and Margaret River. Grenache and Mourvèdre are also popular, both on their own and alongside Shiraz in Rhône Blends. Chardonnay is common throughout the country and made in a wide range of styles. Sauvignon Blanc has recently surged in popularity to compete with New Zealand’s distinctive version and Semillon is often blended in Margaret River or shines on its own in the Hunter Valley. Riesling thrives in the cool-climate Clare and Eden Valleys. Sticky-sweet fortified wine Rutherglen is a beloved regional specialty of Victoria.