Palate
The expression of Shiraz that grows in the temperate Margaret River region combines the ripeness and opulence of warmer climates with the spice and elegance more typical of cooler ones.
The aromas of red colored fruits imply warmth and richness as oak chimes in with its inviting mocha and cocoa notes. Hints of ginger, anise and pepper add elegance and spice. Round and opulent, the palate is rich in boundless fruit yet retains a weight that is more akin to compote than jam. The plush mouthfeel is freshened by young chewy tannins.
Growing Conditions
Margaret River began the growing season with a rain filled soil profile and full catchments. Late spring was cool and windy with damaging north westerlies wreaking havoc on early varieties. The effect on flowering and set in Chardonnay and Shiraz reduced yields notably. Beyond this blustery start, the vintage was uniformly warm to hot with a week of annoyingly intermittent rains in early April to keep us on our toes. Yields were average and thanks to the favourable summer, the wines produced from the 2014 vintage are full of bold and ripe varietal fruit flavours, bright acidity and ripe tannins.
Winemaking
Vinification occurs in both open vat and closed stainless steel fermenters with diligent cap management to extract fine fruit tannin and strong varietal flavour. Select parcels of wine are run to barrel between 2 & 3º Be to capture new barrel characters from the final few degrees of fermentation. The remaining blocks are pressed at dryness to retain fruit vibrancy. After pressing, each batch is matured separately in order to build a wine history over time.
Post pressing, each batch is matured separately in order to build a wine history over time. The wine is matured for a minimum of 18 months in 40% new and 60% older, French oak barriques to ensure the thorough integration of oak and grape tannins. After egg white fining and light filtration, the wine is bottled.
