Winemaker Notes
The idea for the new bottling came about when Ravenswood winemaker Joel Peterson was in Australia visiting BRL Hardy, a winery also owned by Ravenswood's parent company. Like many wine producers around the world these days, Hardy had some excess juice, and after tasting through a few samples, Peterson became intrigued by the possibilities. The result is a delectable red wine, soft and tasty; excellent with grilled sausages.
Though Syrah originated in the Rhône Valley of France, Australia is home to the oldest Syrah (called Shiraz here) vines on the planet. Found in Australia’s Barossa Valley, where phylloxera has never threated viticulture, these ancient vines are between 140 to 175 years old!
Having brought fame and merit to the country’s wine scene since the early 1950s, namely via the debut of Penfolds Grange, today Syrah (Shiraz) claims rank as the most widely planted grape in Australia. In fact, the amount of land dedicated to Shiraz in Australia is now almost equivalent to what it is in France. Australian Shiraz has its own personality with flavors and aromas of intense blackberry, fruitcake, menthol, tobacco leaf and umami. Conveniently one can find great Australian Shiraz at a variety of price points but the very best will be dense, gloriously complex and capable of long aging.