Nose
A nose of raspberry and spice, it provides a lot of nuance and sway.
Palate
The palate is medium weight and delicious with the brightness of the fruit following through to the length.
Growing Conditions
The growing season in 2011 provided a season which brought the grapes through to ripeness with a warm patch in January and February, followed by a cooling period that ensured the grapes were picked later in the vintage. 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. 2011 will be considered a rich and ripe vintage for red wines in the region and may produce many long lasting and significant wines.
Winemaking
Dave Johnson and his team of workers made an exemplary wine from our second 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 14 days. Stored in 1-2 year old French oak barrels for 16 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
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).
