2018 Clare Valley Shiraz

Deep red with a slight purple tinge.

Dark blackberry fruit with black olives and spice. Notes of liquorice and fine French oak cedar.

Blackberry and spice follow through from the bouquet on to the palate with great concentration of flavour.

Up to 10 years - one of the great vintages in the Clare Valley.

This Shiraz is made using fruit from two of our vineyards, both the cooler region of Polish Hill River and also the warmer Armagh, north of Clare.

We have introduced a component of whole bunch to the ferment, which promote varietal character. The ferment takes place in two and four tonne fermenters over a 12 day period, using natural yeast and hand-plunged. The wine is left on skins post-fermentation for an additional 15 days, enhancing tannin complexity and maximising flavour. This is pressed to tank then racked to oak after four days (25% new French oak,; 75% one- and two-year-old French oak) for a total of two years.

A low-yielding vintage has produced a very concentrated, elegant Shiraz, with notes of blackberry fruit and spice carrying across both bouquet and palate.

Alcohol - 14.5%

pH - 3.34

Acidity - 7.0g/L

Selected in James Halliday's Top 100 Wines of 2020 - Top Reds Over $30

97 points (gold) - Halliday Wine Companion

"Very good colour through to the rim; the bouquet has a complex array of licorice and tantalising warm spices. The palate is full bodied and intense, yet so balanced it doesn't muffle a classic Clare Valley shiraz filled with blackberry and black cherry fruit." - James Halliday

97/100 - Ray Jordan for The West Australian

"This wine is sourced from the Clare subregions of Polish Hill River and Armagh. It is packed with a Clare Valley combination of blackberry, licorice and coffee grinds with a little black olive edginess. Has a succulent yet structured palate with grainy tannins displaying a subtle chalky edge. Beautifully presented and polished as you would expect from these guys. Great cellaring potential and a great price for this quality." - Ray Jordan