Vintage 2007: marked the culmination of a record drought in McLaren Vale (and indeed the rest of Australia) which resulted in tiny crops, from unexpectedly healthy vines. Whites in particular kept their basal leaves far longer than was expected which protected fruit from sunburn. Vintage 2007 started (and finished) approximately one month early and fruit is characterised by good acid retention, power AND elegance...... altogether an unusual but excellent vintage. Both red and white wines have amazing potential.
Winemaking: As a single vineyard wine, the Shiraz is made in a myriad of ways to provide a range of components from which to make the final wine. Traditional vinification saw the Shiraz undergoing a gentle fermentation in open fermenters with daily pump-overs. Approximately a third of the Shiraz was pressed off into barrel to finish ferment. A very small percentage of cordon cut, vine-dried Shiraz was blended back to the wine prior to bottling. The Shiraz matured in a mix of new and older French and American oak barriques prior to bottling.