Heavy winter rains recharged soil moisture levels and led into a calm settled period for fruit set to give moderate crop levels. The season was warm in November progressing growth but developed into a milder ripening period from January through March allowing enhanced flavour and physiological (tannin) development. The abundant Marri tree blossom kept the birds occupied allowing the grapes to ripen in perfect health and full balanced maturity. Shiraz is the only red variety planted at all of our estate vineyard sites, ripening at different times and giving us a myriad of complexity and blending options.

The intense aromatics explode from the glass, erupting in berry fruits of mulberry, stewed blackberry and blood plum, draped in sweet baking spices of cinnamon stick and nutmeg. There is a mysterious sappy floral note of lifted purple violets, overlaid by shaved graphite and hints of mossy granite which threads surreptitiously across the nose.

An intensity of dark fruit framed by muscular structure with a long finish which will unfurl slowly to reveal great varietal detail. The mouth is coated with candied berry fruits, fresh tobacco, cedar smoke and a warm richness of dried fruit cake with rum soaked raisins. The tannins are chewy and grainy driving through to a powerful finish of caramel, molasses and sweet spices of cardamom and cinnamon powder.

Deep dark mulberry with purple edges.

The savoury mystery of this wine can be unlocked with a slow roasted beef brisket braised in maple molasses glaze, served with blistered sweet potato and a charred medley of capsicum, eggplant and sweet corn. A slow cooked smoked eggplant moussaka with fresh herbs, a dish of baked goat’s curd on focaccia drizzled with wild honey or a warmed Christmas cake soaked in brandy infused caramel sauce all bring different elements out of this intriguingly complex wine.

The fruit comes from all of our estate vineyard sites; Wallcliffe, Trinders, Chapman Brook and Crossroads planted in 1970, 1988, 2001 and 2003 respectively, together with several premium grower partners. The typical soils of these vineyards are geologically ancient, free draining sandy loams with a high percentage of lateritic gravel. Meticulously careful hand work on the canopy ensured perfect exposition for the fruit, which in 2018, allowed ultra-fine tannin development, at modest ripeness levels with beautifully balanced acids.