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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 recommended for medium to long term cellaring. A period of decanting before drinking is recommended.
Vintages:
appearance
Intense vibrant purple, black colour.
bouquet
Lifted complex aromas of berry, cherry, blackcurrant fruit, chocolate and mocha with subtle integrated oak complexity of vanilla and cigar box
palate
The palate has lashings of fruitcake, rum & raison and chocolate. The structure is very rich, thick and concentrated with a well integrated full palate and ripe complex fruit.
winemaking
Sourced from selected premium McLaren Vale vineyards with predominantly Bay of Biscay soils. Harvested when fruit flavours, grape tannins and acids reached maturity.
Fermentation on skins was for 7 - 10 days with a proportion of the wine (30%) completing fermentation in barrel. Maturation of fruit from each vineyard was considered and completed in specialized oak from a range of coopers from France, Europe, USA and Australia. Maturation was for 18 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.
technical analysis
pH
3.5
TA
6.5
Alcohol
14.5%
ageing potential
Drinking best up to 2012. 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
The Hyatt/Advertiser South Australian Wine of the Year Award 2006
Trophy for Best Five Australia Wide Shiraz Wines Southern NSW Wine Show 2006
Trophy for CSU Graduate Red Wine Southern NSW Wine Show 2006
Trophy for Best CSU Graduate 2004 Vintage Dry Red Wine Southern NSW Wine Show 2006
Excellent Classification, Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine IV
Selected in Top 12, International Shiraz Alliance 2006
Gold Medal, Decanter World Wine Awards 2006
Gold Medal (Class 5) Southern NSW Wine Show 2006
Gold Medal (Class 87) Southern NSW Wine Show 2006
Blue Gold Medal (Top 100) Sydney International Wine Competition 2007
Silver Medal, Wine for Asia 2006
Silver Medal, Royal Queensland Wine Show 2006
Silver Medal, Sydney Royal Wine Show 2006
Bronze Medal, International Wine & Spirit Competition 2006
Bronze Medal, McLaren Vale Wine Show 2006
Bronze Medal, Wine & Spirits Asia Challenge 2006
Bronze Medal, Riverina Wine Show 2006
Bronze Medal, Rutherglen Wine Show 2006
Bronze Medal, Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2006
Bronze Medal, National (Canberra) Wine Show 2006
Bronze Medal, Royal Hobart Wine Show 2006
Bronze Medal, Royal Melbourne Wine Show 2005
4 & ½ Glasses, Rating 93, Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2007
4 & ½ Glasses, Rating 93, James Halliday Wine Companion 2007
95 Points, Rating 2 (Gold) Jeremy Olliver Australian Wine Annual 2007
viticulturist
Paul Watts & Nick Wiltshire
winemakers
Chris Dix & Scott Zrna