Vineyards
Fruit is sourced mostly from our promising Rocky Horror vineyard (50%), planted in the mid 90’s and the balance sourced from our 37 year old Wyjup (22%) and 39 year old Bouverie vineyards (18%) and the 30 year old Charleston vineyard (10%), all growing on gravel loams around the Mt Barker area in the Great Southern region of Western Australia.
Vintage Comments
A dry year characterized by moderate vine growth and yield; a welcome mild spring led into quite a warm early summer but by late February hot conditions prevailed causing sugars to climb dramatically, till cooling rains mid March helped moderate conditions, benefitting the fruit still left on the vines.
One of the hottest and consequently shortest vintages on record with the Shiraz harvest in Mount Barker beginning and ending at Rocky Horror vineyard between the 11th and 30th March where sugars ranged between 26.8 brix to 25.5 brix and acid levels averaging 6.0 g/L. Yields were a moderate 6.2 tonne/hectare. The Wyjup vineyard was harvested on the 13th March at 25.3 brix with a relatively high acidity of 7.3 g/L and pH 3.44. Bouverie was picked on the 15th March at 24.9 brix 6.1 g/L TA and pH 3.62. Respective yields in our old blocks were a very modest 3.7 and 2.8 tonne / hectare.
Winemaking
The dry, cool to mild climate of the Great Southern region is well suited to the production of a spicy Shiraz style of wine with great depth of flavour and structure. We endeavour through careful viticulture and wine production to produce a wine that will express its sense of place and coupled with selected tight grain French oak that supports rather than dominate the fruit. Our winemaking philosophy is simply to produce a wine that is in harmony with its elements; gaining complexity with time but first and foremost be imminently drinkable.
Tasting Notes
Juicy ripe cherry and blackberry fruit greet the nose, cloaked with chocolaty, vanilla biscuit notes. Underlying spicy, tobacco and minerally notes resonate Shiraz. A sumptuous, textural palate with not a thing out of place, layered complexity and long berry flavours coated with lingering spicy choc liquorice flavours.
Technical Details
Alcohol: 15.4%v/v
Acidity: 6.5 g/L
pH: 3.58
