Nose
Fragrant red and black currants, Moroccan spices and vanilla from the new oak selections.
Palate
Fine tannins and soft rounded fruit carry the elegance of the wine. The taste is quite angular, with firm fresh cherry acidity that provides both refreshment and length. The balance of savoury and fruit is wonderful and endless, leaving delicate spice on the palate.
Growing Conditions
The Bartondale Shiraz comes from a small area of older, north facing vines. The soil type on this block is very gravelly. The vines are spur pruned and the canopy is spilt in the Smart Dyson manner. With the rows running north-south, the vines can intercept the maximum amount of sunlight. We also open up the canopy on the morning sun side with close trimming and leaf plucking so that the fruit is fully exposed to the morning sun. however, the eastern side or afternoon sun side encourage the vines to maintain one or two leaf coverage on the fruit to protect them in the heat of the day. The combination of gravelly soils, north facing slopes and the attention to detail with canopy management allows us to produce intensely flavoured Shiraz while maintaining freshness on the palate.
Winemaking
Hand picked Viognier (7%) and the old block Shiraz is received at the winery. This fruit is selected based purely on the terroir of the site. The fruit is gently transferred into a static red
fermentation vessel, along with a Rhone Yeast isolate ready for fermentation. The fruit is left for 24-48 hours for a small, cold maceration, before we begin pump overs and if required, some manual juice drain off. The pump overs are conducted twice a day for 7 days, then only once a day for 7 days. At the completion of the 14 days, the red must is pressed into a stainless steel vessel for malo lactic fermentation to occur. The hearts of the wine are transferred into the new French oak barriques for malo lactic fermentation. These barrels are kept separate for the duration of maturation. At the completion of the malo lactic fermentation, the remaining wine is transferred into a combination of French oak puncheons and barriques for 18 months maturation. After 4 months, the barrels are assessed for quality, and an initial barrel selection is made for the first rack and return. At the completion of the 18 months, the barrels are then assessed for quality, and rated A, B or C. Only the As are eligible for The Bartondale. The barrels are then blended into a stainless steel tank for assemblage and bottle preparation. Bottle preparation is simple for this wine - we wait 4 weeks for the bottling to occur with no fining or filtration. The wine is then left for 12 months of bottle age before being released.
Aging
18 months in French oak.
Appearance
Brilliant ruby red.
