This is a fantastic example of Barossa Shiraz. Deep Ox blood red colour, with a lifted and intense nose of blackberry fruit, sweet spice and dark chocolate. In a word, YUM! Rich dark black fruits, jam with sweet spice with a touch of vanillin oak on the nose and a smoothly textured, full flavoured palate with ripe, grainy tannins.
The palate is very rich and flavoursome with blackberry and plum fruit. In addition to the primary fruit characters there is plenty of complexity in this wine with spice and earthy notes. There is heaps of mouth filling flavour complemented by chalky tannins. There is great length of fruit as well. A most sessional and engaging wine that provides plenty of depth and satisfaction all round.
Previous Vintages:
Tyson Stelzer says: 92 From Mount Crawford's vineyard at the southern extreme of Eden Valley, this the finest vintage for Thorn Clarke Shiraz yet, a $20 benchmark of Barossa shiraz, for its fruit definition and density, layered with signature black plum and blueberry fruits, black pastilles and liquorice of considerable depth and precision. A firm tannin structure is finely textured, providing impressive medium-term potential.
James Halliday says: 92 There is a lot of wine here for the price, with blackberry, licorice, bitter chocolate and well-balanced spicy oak; the palate is firm and focused, revealing tension between its components; good now and with plenty of fuel in the tank for the future.
WINESTATE says: Perfect FIVE STARS Ripe style without being over ripe. Beautiful varietal fruit vibrancy balanced with well-handled oak and a lovely, firm, seamless tannic backbone. Has warmth, texture and structure. 5+
2012 Shotfire Shiraz COMMENTS On release the wine has a deep purple colour with a red hue. The wine has a lifted nose of clean blackberry fruit accompanied by mocha and spice. The palate displays sweet fruit characters dominated by blackberry and plum, complimented by cinnamon, clove and nutmeg characters. The wine is full bodied with natural tannin and oak maturation adding texture and complexity to the wine.
VINIFICATION NOTES The grapes were de-stemmed into fermenters. Ferments were pumped over twice daily to maximise colour, tannin and flavour extraction. Cooling is used to ensure ferments remain in the 22-25 degree celcius range which allows maximum fruit expression in the wine. Pressing occurs approximately seven days after fermentation commences and the wine is then filled to American oak to mature.
MATURATION 14 months in 40% new American hogsheads with the balance going into 2nd and 3rd fill barrels.
VINTAGE NOTES A warmer spring and cooler summer saw the Barossa begin vintage 2012 with some exceptionally healthy vines and expectations for early maturation. Maximum mean temperatures in the Barossa in spring (September to November) were slightly above average, which led to good vegetative growth, healthy vines and potentially early mat-uration, while summer mean maximum temperatures were cooler than average.
HARVESTED March 2012
Don't Pay: $30.00
WBW Rating: 95/100
Closure: stelvin
Region: Barossa Valley, SA
Winemaker: Helen McCarthy
Drink now until: 2020
Alc/Vol: 14.5 %
