Scarlet Runner Shiraz 2013
Tasting Notes
Scarlet Runner shows typical McLaren Vale characters; red and dark fruit with spice on the nose and the palate. The fruit is fresh, as a result of its youth and a pretty decent growing season, and there’s a hint of chocolate too. Nice tannins and a mid-weight tannin make this an absolute ripper of a wine. Enjoy alone, with friends or alongside a rich stew or braise.
Vintage
We had good winter rains then warm summer conditions which brought about an early harvest. We had a few hot-cool-hot-cool periods which made it a little trickier to decide when to pick, but Joch reckons he got it right in the end.
Winemaking
We used standard red wine –making techniques to make the Scarlet Runner Shiraz. We pick the grapes, crush them gently then transfer them to open fermenters. Most of the grapes finish ferment in barrel, while a fair proprtion only spend its time in stainless steel. We use some new, but mainly old oak barrels, some barriques but mainly hogsheads and the barrels are sourced predominantly from France but some from the USA. We want the lovely McLaren Vale fruit to take centre stage, and so the oak plays a gentle supporting role. If we pursue this theatrical analogy to its logical conclusion, the only heckling we expect with this wine are the shouts of approval from the audience. And that’s quite enough of that analogy.
Reviews
Josh Raynolds in Tanzer's International Wine Cellar Issue 175 July/ August 2014 Best New Wines from Australia
Vivid purple. Fresh cherry and dark berry aromas are complicated by notes of cola and pipe tobacco. Chewy and broad, offering bitter cherry and cassis flavors and a zesty note of peppery spices. Closes sappy and very long, with a hint of bitter chocolate and youthful tannic grip. 91
Other Vintages
Technical Details
Picking Date: 5th, 17th and 27th March 2013
pH: 3.63
Alc/Vol: 14.5%
Bottling Date: 2nd December 2013