Winemaker Notes
Selected parcels from our most outstanding Shiraz blocks were harvested at optimum maturity, gently crushed and then fermented in small, static fermenters and inoculated with a neutral strain of yeast. Fermentation temperatures were moderate, and over extraction of tannins was avoided by careful monitoring during daily tasting and regular analysis. After pressing, the wine was transferred into selected new and one year old barrels for up to 16 months. After this time each barrel was tasted by winemakers prior to blending and any not up to exacting standards were culled. This wine has undergone minimal filtration to minimise stripping of flavor.
Dark cherry color with bright purple hues. Spicy chocolate mint nose with lifted violets and vanilla bean.
Dense ripe blackberry fruits with a luscious mid palate and a velvety tannin finish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Spectator
Polished and lively, with rhubarb and pomegranate notes that weave through plum and spice as this heads for the finish. The tannins are well-buffed. Drink now through 2015.
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.