Made from fruit off 20+ year old vines, this lovely little shiraz represents excellent value. Aromas of dark berries and cherries and pepper spice adorn the nose, whilst the palate is very medium-bodied with red and black fruit flavours, very fine, slinky tannins, and a dry, savoury finish. This is not a body-builder fruit bomb, it's more a graceful, svelte gymnast that would match well with duck or lamb chops.
Past Accolades and Awards:
2015 Vintage: 97 Points - James Halliday, Wine Companion "Includes 2% viognier, 15% whole bunches, matured in used puncheons. Trophies for Best Shiraz and Best Single Vineyard Wine at Melbourne Wine Awards '16 and trophy for Best Single Vineyard at the Yarra Valley Wine Show '16. It's not a giant killer, its place the bedroom not the battle field. For yes, it is seductively crafted, the emphasis on red and black cherries, plus a flourish of blackberry, the tannins calculated with extreme sensitivity. One of the best value wines in the 31-year history of the Companion."
From the Winery:
2016 was a vintage for the quick and the dead. Fortunately we were quick.
A warm and dry spring meant excellent even flowering and fruit set. Canopies were encouraged to be vigorous to protect the larger than average crop. Summer continued in this fashion, and ripening came on quickly. All shiraz was in the winery by the first week of March 2016. We aimed to pick while the fruit was fresh and vibrant, which meant going hard with harvesting. We are pleased that we did.
Technical Notes
Vineyard: Napoleone, Block 5 (70%) Block 7 (30%) Soil type: Sandy loam on a clay base Aspect: South Clones: PT23 clone Yeast: Indigenous Whole Bunch: 25% Oak: All in French hogsheads, 20% new Coopers: Dargaud and Jaegle, Sirugue, Damy Alcohol: 13%
Don't Pay: $32.00
WBW Rating: 95/100
Closure: Stelvin
Region: Yarra Valley, VIC
Winemaker: Tim Shand
Drink now until: 2028
Alc/Vol: 13 %
