1838 Reserve Shiraz 2018

Fruit was sourced from several well-known growers in South Australia from what was another great vintage in terms of quality although yields were down across the region. The different sites allowed us to pick the fruit over a extended period allowing each vineyard to develop differing characters to compliment each other and also allowed us at the winery to treat the parcels individually in small ferments with longer than usual skin contact, which is always ideal. The result is an outstanding wine with obvious time and care taken with it throughout the vinification process. This wine was fermented warm and received pump overs on a daily basis during fermentation. Aged in primarily old 2-3 year old oak to add another level of complexity without over powering the fruit. 

The Perfect Storm McLaren Vale Shiraz 2018

The Perfect Storm Vineyard as we have dubbed it sits high in the McLaren Vale ranges with a perfect vantage point to view the many storms that sweep in from Gulf St Vincent across the McLaren Vale region. We have hand crafted a Shiraz by hand picking fruit, crushing and fermenting in small batches and allowing extended time on skins to ensure luscious fruit flavours prevail. Following on from fermentation the wine was pressed and aged in American barrique barrels for 12 months prior to bottling with minimal filtration. Allow it to breathe if drinking early, this wine is built to last and I expect to be drinking it over the next decade.

Southern Lights Marlborough Syrah 2016

Southern Lights Syrah is sourced from an established vineyard in Marlborough’s Souther Valley region. Created with minimal intervention, handpicked and patiently aged for 18 months in 50% are French oak.

Limb Vineyards Home Block Seppeltsfield Barossa Valley Shiraz 2017

After the cold and rainy winter period in 2016 the Barossa had a spring which is one of the wettest on record. This set up a perfect 2017 crop and the mild weather pattern we encountered through veraison was ideal with top up rain fall during early 2017. The dry Indian summer finished off the growing season creating wonderful ripening conditions. The fruit was crushed, de-stemmed and left on skins in open top fermenters for 8-10 days. A slow ferment then occurred with temperatures ranging from 15-18C, the wine had open pump-overs and hand plunging to ensure fruit intensity. Once fermentation was completed the wine was pressed into old French barrels that were re-shaved just for this wine. The wine spent 24 months in oak to mature until I felt the time was right to bottle. Final barrel selection ensured only the best of the best wine made it into the final blend before bottling with minimal fining or filtration.

Draytons Family Bellevue Heritage Grand Reserve Hunter Valley Shiraz 2015

Open tank fermentation 9 days on skins. Clarification after malolactic fermentation Maturation in American barriques 

Oxford Landing River Crossing Shiraz 2018

The Oxford Landing Estates vineyards produce grapes perfect for fresh and varietal wines. Supplementary irrigation and canopy management are adapted to suit each individual site, in order to provide a good balance of light and shade in the canopy and maximise fruit quality.

Fermentation was carried out in a combination of static and rotary fermenters under warm temperature conditions for six to seven days. This creates balance between extracting the appropriate tannins for wine structure and retaining fruit drive and aromatics. 

Warm and dry growing conditions, along with controlled irrigation of the vines has allowed a healthy crop of grapes to ripen slowly and evenly. The Shiraz harvest in our Oxford Landing Estates vineyards commenced in the last week of February and proceeded for the next month in almost perfect conditions.