Awards and Accolades

2013 Vintage:

96 Points - James Halliday, Australian Wine Companion
"Hand-picked, chilled overnight, destemmed, some whole bunches, 5-day cold soak, some wild fermentation, temperature-cooled fermentation, matured in new and used French hogsheads for 18 months, not racked or stirred. This is such good fruit sourcing/winemaking and marketing, the last the least important; it is a super-elegant wine with an intense peacock's tail display of red, purple and black fruits, and a burst of spice/pepper usually found in super-cool regions. It's the cat's pyjamas"

94 Points - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front
"I’m known for not particularly liking Eden Valley Shiraz, though it’s not my job to tell you the styles I like and don’t like (aside Chenin Blanc). I review them as I find them. Personal taste and foibles are always present, but recognition of quality, I suspect, is a far simpler task. Black fruit, sage and herb garden, mocha, brown spices – dark and perfumed. Medium bodied, fleshy and ripe, spice and dark chocolate with fine grained pliant tannin a constant theme through the wine – such good and satisfying texture. Sweet dark fruit, spice and a very long finish, punctuated with a dried herb perfume. Lovely effortless Shiraz. Classic Eden Valley."

From the Winery

Sourced from three (40 to 70 year old) vineyards, each contributing a different character. A new vineyard, March, gives structure and depth, whilst Batton generosity and fruit weight. Fechner added aromatics, bright fruit notes and back palate lift. Hand-picked, an overnight chill and cold-soaked for 5 days at 7 degrees. Allowed to reach ambient temp. in 2 tonne fermenters. Very slow, temperature controlled ferment, twenty percent whole bunch and some wild with the cap held down and hand plungedr twice daily. At two grams pressed in a very old, very gentle pneumatic press. Racked to new & old small format French oak (300 litre) and topped every 6 weeks, not racked or stirred for 18 months. The wine was not fined, given the loosest possible filtration and minimal sulphur before bottling.

2014 vintage started well with high soil moisture levels before very dry and clear conditions resulted in warm days and cold nights. A series of frosts significantly reduced yields and the pattern of hot and cold continued through summer. Bush fires were well of the east of the vineyards and did not have an impact. Late Autumn rains slowed down the vintage fruit was harvested without incident. When the dust settled, the fruit was in surprisingly good condition and created beautifully fruited and balanced wines albeit in a lighter spectrum.