Vintage Notes
Average winter rains were followed by a very cool and dry late January/February, resulting in very healthy vines with big canopies and intensely varietal fruit which held their acidity extraordinarily well.
Winemaking
We aimed to make a wine without too much oak or winemaking artifice, where the fruit was the main event. As a result, on top of our old-fashioned winemaking techniques, there was more maturation in tank than in oak. In fact, we only used about 8% new (French) oak, and only a smattering of big old oak vessels for this purpose. Grapes were sourced from 3 different adjacent Shiraz blocks (all certified organic of course) from our vineyard, with most batches being open fermented. Yields were low, in the region of 3.75 tonnes/acre.
Tasting Note
The colour: purple, bright and vibrant, too. The nose shows blackberry, spice and bright black fruits. The palate continues the theme of brightness, with a fresh, light, long clean finish. The net result is a fresh, middle-weight style of Shiraz with bags of McLaren Vale fruit, vibrancy and flavour.
Technical Details
| Picking Date | The majority was picked on 5 March 2008; a small amount on 3 and 8 March 2008. |
|---|---|
| pH | 3.55 |
| Total Acidity | 6.55 g/L |
| Alc/Vol | 14.2% |
| Bottling Date | 20 May 2009 |