Winemaker Notes
The grapes for this wine were sourced predominantly from our vineyards in South Australias McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek, with a proportion from Mudgee in New South Wales and also Murray River Valley. In McLaren Vale, the long generous summers generally are tempered by cooling breezes from the Gulf of St. Vincent and Lake Alexandrina, whilst the night time cool of the Blue Mountains produces similar conditions in Mudgee. These cool periods enable the colour pigments and natural acidity within the fruit to stabilise, thus allowing the typically full, spicy flavours of the variety to ripen whilst retaining overall structural balance.
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.