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OX HARDY Upper Tintara Vineyard Shiraz, McLaren Vale

Ox Hardy Upper Tintara Vineyard Shiraz comes from winemaker Andrew ‘Ox’ Hardy. Continuing his family’s rich winemaking legacy in McLaren Vale, this wine is affectionately known as ‘Little Ox’, an accessible and delicious introduction to the Ox Hardy range. With fruit from the same Upper Tintara vineyard as Ox Hardy flagship wine 1891 Ancestor Vines, the vines yielding the grapes for this wine were planted by the Hardy family at the turn of the millennium.

The fresh, lifted palate is indicative of a more contemporary expression of McLaren Vale Shiraz. Red berries, earth, and herbs linger. Aged in matured French oak, the primary fruit is allowed to sing and the terroir to shine through with beauty and precision.

Region McLaren Vale

The McLaren Vale wine region is located between the Mount Lofty Ranges and the Gulf of St Vincent just South of Adelaide in South Australia. Historically it was John Reynell who established Chateau Reynella in 1838, and Thomas Hardy who purchased the historic Tintara in 1876, that kick started the development of the McLaren Vale wine industry. The climate is generally considered warm, although different aspects, altitude and the effect of the cooling ocean breezes moderate the climate within the different sub-regions of the Vale. A large number of soil types are present, although red-brown loams dominate. The biggest viticultural challenge is the potential for drought and the overall lack of water. Full bodied, robust and plush reds typify the McLaren Vale style. Plantings are dominated by Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, with smaller plantings of whites including Semillon, and Chardonnay. More recent plantings of Mediterranean varieties particularly suited to the climate, including Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Mourvedre, Savagnin and Fiano have also been very successful.