ATTRIBUTES
The 2019 Shiraz has aromas of blackberry and savoury notes of leather and cassis. The palate is rich and intensely velvety with smooth and long tannins and ripe and juicy red fruit characteristics. It has a long fine finish, with a hint of pepper and earthy spice. This wine is drinking beautifully now and will also increase complexity with medium term cellaring.
WINEMAKING
The 2019 grape growing season had some challenges, in that it was a warm vintage with very low spring and summer rains, which resulted in an early vintage with much lower than average yields. The bunches were small and sparse, but intense in colour and flavour anthocyanins (tannins). The Shiraz was hand picked early March 2019, and the fruit transported via refrigerated trucks to O’Leary Walker Wines in the Clare Valley. The fruit was then crushed and destemmed into open 2 tonne fermenters. The fermenting grapes and juice (must) was hand plunged twice daily, with daily pump-overs to integrate the colour and tannin into the ferment. Once alcoholic fermentation was completed the must was pressed into new and 2nd use French oak for malolactic fermentation. The wine was in barrel for 36 months, with rack and returns every 6 months. The wine was lightly filtered before bottling.
VINEYARDS
Situated on the Teakle property in Port Lincoln, 2 kilometres from the foreshore, with 150 meters elevation. The soils are a rich combination of sandy loam topsoil overlying a friable red-brown clay loam subsoil. The moderately warm summer temperatures and maritime breeze allow perfect ripening conditions in the vineyard. The long sunshine hour days encourage even ripening of the grapes, while the gentle breeze helps cool the bunches, retaining the beautiful natural acidity.