Vineyard location:         
Heathcote (Easterly aspect, Cambrian soils)
 
Viticulture:                     
Vertical shoot position, mixed French clones
                                                             
Oenological Data:          
Harvest Beaume – 13.5 to 14.0                    
Total acidity – 8.33 g/L
pH – 3.39
Alcohol – 14.0%
 
Production:                    
550 dozen
 
Winemaker’s Notes:               
The Shiraz fruit is from very low yielding vines in deep red Cambrian soils on an easterly slope in the northern aspect of Heathcote. The fruit was harvested over a period of a few weeks to ensure optimum balance, ripeness and intensity of flavour. The fruit was destemmed; berries not crushed or pumped to preserve their physical integrity and transferred to a majority of open 3800 L wooden and some stainless steel 3000 L vats. A combination of different maceration times (mainly pumping over) from 14 to 28 days on skins and the majority of batches were naturally fermented and the remainder had selected yeast strains. The wine was aged in new and used French and Hungarian oak for 24 months. 
 
Tasting Notes:                        
Complex brown spice and pepper on the nose with ripe plums and a lifted floral note. This is a very powerful wine with typical earthiness and chewy, fleshy texture. The finish is persistent with fine tannins and a fabulous balanced acidity. There is some musky perfume and smoky new oak as well. Classically structured, this wine offers lovely drinking now but will improve over the next 3 to 5 years. It should then mature slowly for many years hence.
 
Tasting Note 10/08/2020 - 
 
"A nose filled with dried red plum, rose, cranberry and tobacco. Savoury hints of age, earthy, leather. More medium-bodied, with acidity that has softened with time and elegant well-integrated tannin. More primary fruit on the palate, with fresh cranberry and red plum, and sweet spices. A great opportunity to drink a very well made Shiraz at its peak"