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Our most celebrated wine, first made in 1994. It has great depth of colour, aroma and flavour, typical of the best wines of the McLaren Vale region. The Reserve has an extraordinary range of flavours with blackberry, blackcurrant, liquorice and dark chocolate. The wine has a rich sweet fruit mid palate and the finish is long. While approachable when young, it is best cellared.
Vintages:
appearance
Intense black plum colour.
bouquet
Lifted complex aromas of redskin, smoke, char and toast – a suberbly complex nose of savoury deli meats and rich berry fruits with vanilla bean, cream brulee and dark spices.
palate
The palate entry is rich thick and structural, leading into the thick juicy mid palate. Seamless. Fresh bloodplum and black cherry fruit flavours. A gobful of power, richness, complexity, texture and length.
winemaking
Sourced from selected premium McLaren Vale vineyards blocks with a range of soil types contributing structural and flavour complexity. Soils include Bay of Biscay soils, grey loam, and red gravels. Harvested when fruit flavours, grape tannins and acids reached maturity.
Fermentation on skins was for 10 - 11 days with a major proportion of the wine (90%) completing fermentation in barrel for integration and texture of oak and tannins. Maturation of fruit from each vineyard batch was considered and completed in specialized oak from a range of coopers from France, USA and Australia to produce the most complex and complete batch possible prior to blending. Maturation was for 20 months in both new and used oak barrels.
Barrel by barrel selection during all stages of fermentation and barrel maturation to ensure only the best Shiraz barrels were selected for the final blend. Final blend proportions determined purely by quality.
technical analysis
Alcohol
14.5%
ageing potential
Drinking best up to 2015. This wine can be decanted for up to 2 hours prior to consumption. Our Shiraz is an exquisite accompaniment for full flavoured food, but is sufficiently complex and satisfying to be savoured on its own.
awards
Blue Gold (Top 100), Sydney International Wine Competition 2010
Gold Medal & Best Australian Wine, Japan Wine Challenge 2009
Gold Medal (Best in Class), International Wine and Spirit Competition 2009
Gold Medal, Decanter World Wine Awards (UK) 2009
Gold Medal, International Wine Challenge 2009
Gold Medal, McLaren Vale Wine Show 2009
Silver Medal (top 50), 2009 Visy Great Australian Shiraz Challenge
Silver Medal (top pointed), Cairns Wine Awards 2009
Silver Medal, International Wine Challenge 2008
Silver Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2008
Silver Medal, Wine & Spirits Asia Challenge 2008
Silver Medal (equal 6th), Visy Great Australian Shiraz Challenge 2008
Silver Medal, Sydney Royal Wine Show 2008
Bronze Medal, Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2007
Bronze Medal, Perth Royal Wine Show 2008
Bronze Medal, McLaren Vale Wine Show 2008
Bronze Medal, Royal Hobart Wine Show 2008
4 & ½ Stars (Top of Category), McLaren Vale Tasting, Winestate July/August 08
viticulturist
Nick Wiltshire
winemakers
Chris Dix & Scott Zrna