Nose

A nose of raspberry and spice, it moves continuously like smoke.

Palate

The palate is medium weight and delicious with the richness of the fruit following through to the length.

Growing Conditions

The growing season in 2008 provided a season which brought the grapes through to ripeness without extremes of heat and any significant rainfall. By extending the season many red wines in Margaret River have generated an extra fine dimension as the tannins became wholly developed and smooth, matching in with fruit flavours that were fully ripe. 2008 will be considered a classic vintage for red wines in the region and will produce many long lasting and significant wines.

Winemaking

Sharna Kowalczuk and her team of workers made an exemplary wine from our first vintage of Shiraz grapes. Minimum handling and winemaker influence is always the order of the day when making a Blue Poles wine and the Shiraz received just such attention. The grapes were fermented in open top fermenters and plunged up to 4 times a day to enhance colour extraction and ensuring the wine was saturated with flavour, with ferment completed after 12 days. Stored in new and 1-2 year old French oak barrels for 18 months, with a variety of coopers used to create the complexity we desire, this wine has gained weight and pedigree with the passage of time.

Appearance

Deep garnet red in the glass.

Food Pairing

Food matches for this wine include game such as venison (slow roasted saddle with a mulberry reduction), duck (anyway you want!), and moussaka (classic Greek style with eggplant and meat sauce topped with béchamel sauce).