The winemaking and viticulture teams have carefully selected optimum shiraz vineyards from throughout Western Australia to complement each other in this blend. Attention to detail on these properties are paramount to the final wine quality, involving carefully selected sites for our shiraz vines allowing maximum potential for this variety on the soil type and the areas macroclimate. Careful cropping levels and a strict nutrition, shoot thinning, leaf plucking and bunch thinning program allowed the vineyards to produce exceptional fruit quality.

An early harvest was seen across Western Australia due to early budburst and the warmer ripening season was optimum for growing Shiraz, especially from Southern regions. This meant an even ripening period up to maturity, allowing the best expression of the fruit in the finished wine. Harvest was on average two weeks earlier than previous years.

The winemaking commenced with a short cold maceration to extract the abundant fruit and spice, then was allowed to ferment dry with gentle and timely macertion techniques to take full advantage of the soft tannins. When dry the wine was drained and pressed into French oak barriques were it completed malolactic conversion. The wine has been matured for 12 months then racked, lightly fined and filtered before an early bottling to allow for maximum fruit intensity.

This wine is deep purple showing hues of red with an array of mulberries and spices on the nose with touches of lolly and pepper. The palate is soft and mouthfilling, allowing the texture, flavour and acidity to meld this wine into an example of fruit intensity matched with fine French oak.

Owner Ron Wise has 40 ha of owned or leased vineyards across three regions in the south of Western Australia, and a skilled winemaking team. Densely coloured, intense, spicy blackberry fruit aromas lead into a striking full-bodied palate, with deep fruit and licorice flavours supported by ripe tannins. From Margaret River/Frankland River, WA Drink 2012-2022 with marinated venison $19, S, 14.5% alc 95 points & Halliday’s Top 100 – The Weekend Australian November 8-9, 2008