From the Winery

Vintage 2013 had a good start with warm weather providing ideal conditions for flowering, resulting in excellent fruit set. The weather throughout summer continued warm and dry and these conditions sped up vine growth and berry development. The warm days and cool nights provided superior ripening conditions leading to wines with excellent varietal characters. Great results were delivered with reds exhibiting excellent fruit concentration, high colour density and a firm but fine tannin profile.

The wine was fermented on skins for a period of 7 days in headed down stainless steel static and rotary fermenters. It was pumped over or rolled twice daily to ensure maximum extraction of colour and flavour. The wine was then pressed o skins while still slightly sweet (around 0.5 to 1.0 Baume) and pumped to new and used French, American and Hungarian oak barrels to complete primary and malolactic fermentation (MLF).

On completion of primary and malolactic fermentation the wine was racked on its lees, the barrels cleaned and the wine pumped back to the same barrels for 17 months barrel maturation with one more racking in the meantime to aid wine development. The wood mix for the 2013 Shiraz was 25% new oak – 45% of this new oak being Hungarian, 25% American and 30% French. The older oak being 2nd and 3rd use French, American and Hungarian consisted of a mix of Puncheons (500L), Hogsheads (300L) and Barriques (225L).

The Brand's Laira winery is nestled in the heart of the famed 'terra rossa' strip of the Coonawarra region in South Australia. With old heritage vineyards dating back to 1893, the Blockers Range offers flavoursome premium wines like this medium-weight Shiraz, smooth in texture with a lingering fruit-filled finish.