Deep, vibrant ruby red colour with a bright crimson hue. A full-bodied Shiraz, with a spicy bouquet and dark, brooding plum fruit with a hint of rhubarb on the palate. Finishing with fine-textured tannins giving great length and an evenly balanced finish.
Fermentation is initiated in both static and rotary stainless steel fermenters for around a week and completed in 300L barrels. The wine is then aged for approximately 18 months in a blend of French and American oak hogsheads.
Volume of fruit and oak is not in question but the marriage of the two is up for debate. Plum, malt, pink marshmallow and bay leaf notes certainly make for flavoursome drinking. Both tannin and tangy acidity mark the finish; it's well balanced and flavoured but it's still finding its feet.
93 points, Wine Companion (February 2020)
Coonawarra
The first vines were planted in Coonawarra by John Riddoch in 1890, however it was not until the renewed interest in table wine production in the 1950's that Coonawarra was brought into the limelight. Located almost 380 km southeast of Adelaide, Coonawarra is today one of the most famous red wine regions in Australia. Its weathered limestone terra rossa soils, avaibility of water and relatively cool maritime climate make it a unique viticultural region. Extremely flat and unprotected, Coonawarra is exposed both to the swinging influences of the cool Great Southern Ocean and hot, dry northerly winds. Spring frosts also pose a major threat with the potential to wipe out entire crops. Mechanical harvesting is widely employed in the region although smaller producers prefer to tend their vines by hand. Coonawarra is best known for classically-styled Cabernet Sauvignon, although in good years, Shiraz from the region is also very compelling.
