Tasting Notes
COLOUR
The 2008 Shiraz is a deep plum red with a crimson hue.
NOSE
The aroma has an array of intricate fragrances lifting from the glass with each swirl. Initially the nose is rich with plum, dried fig fruit, strong coffee bean, clove and smoky French oak. With time the fruit turns to bright cherry with light herbal notes and the oak evolves to vanilla and toffee. Wafting through all these layers is an ethereal perfume that, in one instance, is sweet with musk and vanilla nuances and then, in another, is spicy and floral with peppercorn and violet characters.
PALATE
The wine is medium bodied with upfront plum and raspberry fruit. This lovely juicy fruit is supported by some dry yet elegant tannins that are just grainy enough to add texture and structural complexity to the mid palate. A bright, almost steely acidity bursts to life in the mid palate and drives long and fresh right through to the finish carrying with it an assortment of fruity and spicy flavours. The palate finishes long, dry and full of toasted cloves and dark chocolate.
Winemaker Notes
All batches of the 2008 Shiraz were vinified and matured separately. The fruit was harvested and crushed to a stainless steel fermentation vessel, allowing for careful cap management and aeration, a process vital in achieving the true potential of Margaret River Shiraz. Fermentation, maceration and aeration are combined in such a way as to ensure the gentlest extraction of colour and tannins and the truest expression of fruit. A small amount of Viognier juice was fermented with the Shiraz while still on skins to increase perfume and develop succulence on the palate. Following 18 months maturation in a mixture of new and old French, American and Hungarian oak barriques, each batch underwent a rigorous appraisal process to identify the best barrels within the best batches. A small, exceptional parcel of Malbec was also incorporated into the blend to add colour, pristine red and black berry fruit, wonderful exotic spices and structural complexity.
Varietals:
Production Notes
87.6% Shiraz, 9.1% Malbec, 3.3% Viognier
Alcohol:
Cellaring Potential:
Aging
will benefit from 10 years cellaring
Harvested:
Harvest Date
22nd-March- 9th April 2008
Oak:
Fermentation
30% New French, American and Hungarian oak and 70% old oak - 18 months
TA:
pH:
Residual Sugar:
Bottled:
Bottling Date
February 2010