Winemaker Notes
In 2007, the 2005 vintage of the McLaren Vale Shiraz was released and a new wine, a 2006 Unwooded Chardonnay, was introduced. Both were very well received and demand soared after rave reviews from Wine Spectator and Wine Enthusiast magazines. Before the end of 2007, two new wines were introduced by Razor’s Edge: a McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon and a McLaren Vale Shiraz Grenache.
The South Australian wine industry is responsible for more than half the production of all Australian wine. The state of South Australia has a vast diversity in geography and climate which allows the state to be able to successfully produce a wide range of grape varieties, from cool climate Rieslings in the Clare Valley, to big and full-bodied Shiraz in the Barossa. Like with most agriculture in Australia, irrigation is a vital component to the success of the South Australian wine industry. Some of Australia's most well known wines are produced here.
Vines are grown at all types of altitudes in South Australia from the low valley regions of the Barossa up to the 1,970ft vineyards in the Eden Valley. The soil type is also varied across the region from the well known terra rosa of Coonawarra, the limestone-marl based soils of the Adelaide, to the sandy, clay loam based soils of the Barossa.
Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, McLaren Vale is home to perhaps the most “classic” style of Australian Shiraz. Vinified on its own or in Rhône Blends, these hot-climate wines are deeply colored and high in extract with signature hints of dark chocolate and licorice. Cabernet Sauvignon is also produced in a similar style.
Whites, often made from Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc tend to be opulent and full of tropical, stone and citrus fruit.
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.”