TASTING NOTE 

Vibrant ruby red colour. with purple hues. Lifted aroma of redcurrants, cranberry, violet florals, leather and spice, hints of olive and chocolate flecks. It is young and a little brooding, slightly restrained, yet delicate.  A juicy and textural front palate is followed by plum, mouthcoating gravelly tannin that drives the length of the wine and mulberries dominating the mid palate. The wine opens up beautifully with time in the glass. A hint of savouriness and graphite bring yet more complexity. Made in a playful but serious style that suits a wide range of dishes or perfect on Its own. 

VINEYARD 

Cabernet Franc for this wine was sourced from 1988 plantings in the Isolation Ridge vineyard at Frankland Estate. The vineyard sits on an undulating northern and eastern facing slope on ancient duplex soils of ironstone gravel and loam over a clay sub-soil. It is certified organic farmed since 2009 and this is reflected in the depth and concentration of fruit flavours. The vines are trained on a Vertical Shoot Position (VSP) trellis system to enhance sunlight penetration of the canopy and optimize ripening conditions.  Cabernet Franc plays a huge role in our vineyard being the main component of our Olmos Reward, we find it suits our vineyard and region the best out of the Bordeaux varieties.

VINIFICATION 

Fruit was harvested in ideal conditions and fermented in shallow stainless steel open fermenters. The fruit is hand plunged to gently extract the tannin, keep the ferment as even as possible and maintain fruit purity. The wine is pressed off and aged on lees in 500L French oak puncheons and 1500L foudre for 10 months before bottling

Grant Burge’s Filsell vineyard with near century old vines is considered one of the best vineyards in the Barossa Valley and consistently produces fruit of great intensity and concentration. Planted in 1920, this vineyard also produces some of the fruit for Grant Burge Wines, flagship Shiraz, the highly acclaimed Meshach.

Yalumba Paradox Shiraz is made from grapes grown in a vineyard on the Barossa Valley floor which is known for its hot climate and bold wines, but this one fits the bill of beautiful elegance and structure as well as of powerful dark fruit flavours. Its intense tannins are beautifully balanced by refreshing acidity, lithe texture and it ticks the vegan friendly box.

Drink with mushrooms, tasty cheddar or anything meaty on the BBQ.

Bouquet: Dark fruits, blackberries and plums. Notes of eucalyptus and menthol. 

Palate: Elegant and complex with ripe plums, blackcurrant and a touch of spice. Hints of clove and anise leading into fine tannins and a long, persistent finish.

"The 2021 Paulmara Estates Marananga Shiraz is a powerful and opulent expression of Barossa Valley’s renowned Marananga subregion. Deep and concentrated, this Shiraz bursts with aromas of blackberry, dark plum, and blueberry, intertwined with notes of dark chocolate, spice, and well-integrated oak. The palate is rich and full-bodied, offering velvety tannins and layers of black fruit, licorice, and espresso, leading to a long, lingering finish.

Paulmara Estates, founded by Paul and Mara Georgiadis, is known for producing wines that reflect the strength and character of their vineyard sites. With a focus on small-batch winemaking and meticulous craftsmanship, they create wines that are both bold and elegant."

-Quoco Wines

Family owned Leeuwin Estate is one of the five founding wineries of the now famous Margaret River district of Western Australia.

 In 1972, legendary Napa Valley winemaker, Robert Mondavi, identified the future site of the Leeuwin vineyard as being ideal for the production of premium wine and provided early mentorship to Denis and Tricia Horgan in the transformation of their cattle farm into Leeuwin Estate. Enjoying its first commercial vintage in 1979, Leeuwin was thrust into the international spotlight when Decanter Magazine gave its highest recommendation to the 1981 “Art Series” Chardonnay. 

This is Shiraz is part of the same art series, from Margaret River in Wetern Australia. This is classic Shiraz with an abundance of bursting blackcurrants, boysenberries and mulberries balanced by sweet, toasted spices.

Impressive powerful Shiraz made from 150 year old vines in the Barossa Valley. This rich and elegant wine has  complex aromas of red fruit, chocolate and herbs, complemented by an underlying savoury note. The palate is juicy and fruity, with a good dose of sweet spice. The fruit character in this expressive wine is balanced by the fine grained tannins and a long finish.

Langmeil is owned by the Lindner family, which has been making wine for six generations in the Barossa Valley.

The vines from this Shiraz are believed to have been planted in 1843. The original plantings still survive and are some of the oldest and rarest vines in the world. This is a rich and complex wine worthy of extended ageing. The nose is intense with notes of plum, coffee and oaky spice. The palate is rich with ripe fruit and sweet spices. Freedom Shiraz is full-bodied with a long and fruity finish.

One of Australia's greatest value red wines, not only for being affordably priced but because this wine is made with grapes that were hand pressed following fermentation. This gentle extraction method brings out smooth and silky textures in all of the wines made at d'Arenberg, accentuating fruity aromas and brightness of flavour. 

Pure Shiraz that's affordable doesn't get better. 

The Shotfire Quartage is sourced from the older Thorn-Clarke owned plantings in the Barossa, with 'Kabininge' and 'St Kitts' vineyards being the main contributors.

 This wine is primarily a blend of traditional Bordeaux varietals (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec) with Cabernet Sauvignon always being dominant. Whilst the Barossa is famous for Shiraz, Thorn-Clarke is renowned for its Quartage which has collected Trophies for best wine of show and / or class at most major wine shows in Australia over the last 10 years.

Jim Barry's Clare Valley Assyrtiko (pronounced 'As-err-teek-oh') comes from 15 kilometres south of Clare township in the village of Watervale on the Florita Vineyard, best known for fino sherry prior to 1962 and great Riesling ever since. A small block of this elevated vineyard is devoted to the Assyrtiko grape, which originally comes from the volcanic island of Santorini where hot days and cool nights allow it to retain freshness derived from the grape's naturally high acidity. The result is an outstandingly succulent, refreshing dry white. This wine will take you by surprise, in the best possible way. It was Australia's first Assyrtiko, made by Peter Barry, who fell for the grape and wine after a trip to Greece. 

Savitar is one of the great Shirazes from McLaren Vale, made with grapes grown on the Lopresti Vineyard's Chinese Block, located at the south end of McLaren Vale, about four kilometres east of the coastal town of Port Willunga. The vines struggle here, producing low yields of fruit with tiny berries which are full of black fruit flavours with dried herb, black olives and an earthy structure of dark smokiness, making this a power packed wine. 

It's named after a mythological dragon like creature, in homage to this wine's bold flavours and powerful length. It's an impressive wine for now and will undoubtedly age for the long haul - think a decade at least. 

The winemaking

Grapes for Savitar Shiraz are selected by hand from the Lopresti Vineyard in McLaren Vale, a site where they struggle and deliver in small volumes. This is regarded as outstanding raw material. They are fermented and the wine pressed before being transferred to oak barrels where it remains on light lees for 18 months before blending. 

This is a deep-maroon red wine. The nose is refreshing and complex with herb and spice coupled with savoury earthy notes of mushroom, dark chocolate and toasted wood. The palate is concentrated in flavour but well resolved in structure with an excellent silky texture. Dark berry and herb and licorice notes on the palate meet cedar and light smoke, with gentle mouth-coating tannins.