Sourced from close-planted blocks in the Hard Hill Road vineyard in Great Western, this wine is made to show the Grampians intensity and denseness.
These Shiraz grapes were vinified in small batches and fermented with a portion of whole bunches. The fermenters are hand-plunged twice a day, and once the fermentation is complete, the wine sits on skins for another month or so before pressing. The wine then rested in French and American 500L puncheons for up to 18 months.
Intense in its youth, the Close-Plante Shiraz has the balanced and structure to be cellared for decades.
"Ultra-close planting of 5000 vines per one-third/ha, and only a production of 250 dozen. Exceptionally deep and bright crimson-purple; it is no less strikingly intense, its mouthfeel supple, velvet and full of spices sewn through black fruits. Then, after all that, the tannins are so fine and soft they leave you wondering where they went."
96 points, Wine Companion (January 2019)
The Grampians
Located in western Central Victoria, the Grampians was settled during the gold rush of the 1850’s. Indeed the vivid history of the gold rush is inextricably intertwined with the history of viticulture in the region. Seppelt at Great Western, one of the region’s iconic wineries was built at the end of the gold rush when scores of out-of-work prospectors excavated its extensive drives and cellars. The "drives" completed in 1932, stretch for three kilometres and provide perfect conditions for the maturation of sparkling wine, for which the region is well-known. The climate of the Grampians is Mediterranean and essentially cool with vineyards situated at elevations ranging from 240 to 350m. The region experiences long sunshine hours and low rainfall necessitating supplementary irrigation. Soils in the region range from weathered volcanic soils to sandy and red clay loams interspersed with ironstone. The region is suited to a diverse range of varietals including Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon but is best known for its crisp fruity Riesling and distinctive spicy peppery Shiraz.
