Winemaker Notes
Scuffy is Nugan Estate's Shiraz vineyard manager - he's a mountain of a man and always looks like he's been wrestling the local wildlife. Despite constantly looking untidy and in desperate need of a shave, he seems to be a real charmer with the ladies. He is excused for being so rough around the edges since he really knows what he's doing in the vineyards - and because the staff gets to tell silly stories about him at the local pub.
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.”
Boasting a strong food and wine culture dominated by a large Italian-Australian population, Riverina is actually a diverse agricultural region centered at Griffith, 275 miles southwest of Sydney. While its Mediterranean climate allows plenty of experimentation with Italian grape varieties, Chardonnay has typically been the most popular variety here. Riverina is also noteworthy for the production of botrytized Semillon made in the style of Sauternes.