96 Points, Special Value Wine - James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion "Presumably the original 40yo estate vines, co-fermented with viognier, the source of the slashing crimson-purple colour. Fills the mouth with opulent black cherry and plum fruit, with immaculately balanced oak and tannin support. This is a really lovely wine that will welcome you with open arms whenever you pop the question."
96 Points - Tony Keys, The Key Report "It hit all the right spots for me, flavours that are complex and run deep, it ripples across the palate giving pleasure all the way"
94+ Points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front "Made from shiraz vines planted in the early 1970s. Co-fermented with viognier. Matured in French, American and Hungarian oak. An elite wine. Viognier certainly makes its presence felt but the wealth of fruit and the firmness of tannin here is exceptional. Plums, asphalt, a wealth of black cherry and a veneer of spicy, creamy, coffeed oak. A sweet, jellied, bright fruit character has you thinking of viognier but the motor is all pure, high quality, dark-berried shiraz. Built for the long haul but its brightness makes it good-drinking even now."
Deep cherry red in colour, this really shows the heights cool climate Shiraz can achieve.
Aromas of plum, cassis, blackcurrant, coffee and white pepper jump out of the glass, whilst opulent black cherry and dark plum flavours keep a good thing going. Ageing in French, American and Hungarian oak has provided great tannin structure and a perfect counter to the fruit weight. Through the finish this is beautifully balanced, good levels of natural acidity meaning this can be enjoyed right away, but will hold well in the cellar for another 15 years.
Awards and Accolades
96 Points, Special Value Wine - James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion "Presumably the original 40yo estate vines, co-fermented with viognier, the source of the slashing crimson-purple colour. Fills the mouth with opulent black cherry and plum fruit, with immaculately balanced oak and tannin support. This is a really lovely wine that will welcome you with open arms whenever you pop the question."
96 Points - Tony Keys, The Key Report "It hit all the right spots for me, flavours that are complex and run deep, it ripples across the palate giving pleasure all the way"
94+ Points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front "Made from shiraz vines planted in the early 1970s. Co-fermented with viognier. Matured in French, American and Hungarian oak. An elite wine. Viognier certainly makes its presence felt but the wealth of fruit and the firmness of tannin here is exceptional. Plums, asphalt, a wealth of black cherry and a veneer of spicy, creamy, coffeed oak. A sweet, jellied, bright fruit character has you thinking of viognier but the motor is all pure, high quality, dark-berried shiraz. Built for the long haul but its brightness makes it good-drinking even now."
SILVER - International Cool Climate Wine Show 2016
☆☆☆☆☆ James Halliday Rated Vineyard
From the Winery
Sourced from 45 years old vines rocky loam soils located on the Central eastern slopes of the Pyrenees ranges at 280 metres. The grapes were machine harvested mid-April, crushed, de-stemmed and transferred into stainless tanks. Grapes were cold macerated for seven days before alcoholic fermentation. Fermentation took place over 21 days (in stainless steel) with the selected yeast, and once primary fermentation was over, skins were pressed and wine transferred into American (25%), French (50%) and Hungarian (25%) oak barrels for 24 months. Finally, the wine was racked, blended and prepared for bottling.
Recommended Food Pairing
This Shiraz would be best served with roasted lamb, steak Wagyu, Lasagna, or creamy curries. It can also be paired beautifully with a variety of cheeses like Mozzarella, Cheddar or Brie.
