Tasting Notes from the winery for Battle of Bosworth Shiraz 2018
VINTAGE
We had above average winter rainfall and although we had a dry June, we recorded decent falls in July and August. Below average rainfall was recorded in spring, and we experienced some warm spring nights. Summer rain tally was also below average despite a wet December. McLaren Vale experienced warm a warm Autumn ripening period with low rainfall. Overall vintage in McLaren Vale produced wine of excellent quality and while total tonnages were down for the season, compared to a wet and fertile 2017, the reports from winemakers on wine quality has been almost universally positive.
WINEMAKING
Steady as she goes on the winemaking front: same, same every year with maybe a tweak of the oak regime (more barrels from one cooper than the other, a bit more toast, a bit less). So; every year once the Shiraz is flavour and sugar ripe it is picked, crushed and fermented in small open vessels and has ‘pump overs’ twice or three times daily. Once almost finished fermentation the juice/ wine is pumped into barrel (about 30% new barrels every year, the balance older oak – all French, although sometimes an American oak barrel is used) and finishes the ferment in there. That’s it really. A few ‘rack and returns’ (where the wine is pumped out of the barrel, the barrel cleaned and then the wine returned to barrel) occurs during the 14 month maturation then the wine is bottled without filtering or fining. Done. We do also use a small component of cordon-cut, vine dried Shiraz (which is used to make the ‘White Boar’), which we add to the blend just before bottling. It’s part of our Bosworth Shiraz ‘recipe’ and we’ve been doing it since we started making the Bozzie Shiraz.
TASTING NOTES
On the nose red and blue fruits with spice. A full-bodied wine, but fine at the same time, with a long even finish and lovely fine tannins. A fresh, rounded and balanced palate – mid-weight, with great persistence of flavour. Overall a balanced flavourful wine, genuine and stylish. An all round classic Bosworth McLaren Vale Shiraz.
Vegan friendly
TECHNICAL DETAILS
VINEYARDS 'The Hill', Braden's and Chanticleer
PICKING DATE
ALC/VOL 14.5%
BOTTLING DATE
(SKU: BB_Shi_18)