News and Events

01 April 2006

Persuasive on the Palate, Fox Creek’s Reserve Shiraz Returns

After a two year absence Fox Creek’s Reserve Shiraz is celebrating a tenth birthday with the release of the 2004 vintage and is once again serenading palates across the country. For ten years this McLaren Vale Shiraz has boldly made its presence felt and is now acknowledged in the excellent category of the 2005 Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine.

Contrary to the popular opinion in 1984 when Jim and Helen Watts established Fox Creek, the full blooded shiraz has thrived on the black clay, Biscay soils and exceeded all expectation. Advised by locals against planting vines where the Fox Creek vineyards now stand, the small group of friends who began Fox Creek Wines ignored the skeptics and followed their dream of making wine in the shiraz heartland of McLaren Vale.

The dedicated energies of winemakers Chris Dix and Scott Zrna have been brought to bear on this premier red with rewarding results. The two winemakers have conducted rigorous oak trials to match wood with individual vineyard blocks to create wines that are finely tuned, rich and flavoursome prior to blending.

A wide range of both American and French oak types, oak seasoning periods, coopers and toast levels have been used to achieve a rich, complex wine that is smooth and full. The oak is supportive whilst not dominating the shiraz fruit or tannin structure.

Strict standards are applied to all steps of the winemaking process, rigorous grading in each vineyard block prior to harvest, then during fermentation, pressing, barrel fermentation and barrel maturation to ensure only the very best Shiraz barrels are selected for the final blend.

“The 2004 Reserve Shiraz is an introduction to the second decade of winemaking at Fox Creek and we think it is a great example of contemporary Australian Shiraz” Chris Dix, Senior Winemaker.

The heroic Reserve Shiraz is famed for standing up to even the richest of dishes, whilst being more than capable of entertaining you all alone.

The Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz is $70.00 RRP.

Fox Creek Reserve Shiraz is available from cellar door and at good wine stores and leading restaurants throughout Australia.