Tasting Notes for Paxton Quandong Farm Shiraz 2020 from the Winery

Quandong Farm Shiraz is a single vineyard wine that aims to highlight the intensity and brightness of fruit grown using biodynamic techniques. Our farming practices are designed to produce wines of intensity, but also with layers of texture, flavour and interest for the consumer. We think this wine exhibits these characteristics and provides both concentration and flavour and a certain delicacy, rather than simple raw power.

Aroma: This is really an olfactory party, there’s so much going on. Bunchy characters like homemade boiled lollies, strawberry shortcakes and lilly pillies meld with smoky speck and brooding dark musk. After some air, touches of Turkish spices hint to the delicate integration of French oak.

Palate: The energy is enlivening as this wine graces the palate, long and undeviating on first taste, it fills out with a little time in the glass. Medium bodied, it feels like a juxtaposition of goats nibbling their way through brambly wild berries and mint and the tension of acrobatic tricks on a high wire. A delicate finish like sinking your toes into the smooth, fine sands of the Whitsundays.

Vintage: 2020 posed many challenges throughout Australia. Another intense drought year through the growing season was followed by one of the most devastating bushfire seasons this country has ever seen. Fortunately McLaren Vale was largely unaffected by this devastation and the early signs indicate 2020 to be a very special vintage; one to savour. Moderate weather throughout the picking season, combined with lower yields allowed the flavours to develop harmoniously and in balance. Varietal expression was excellent with Shiraz and Grenache showing lovely intense flavour without excessive tannin or alcohol. Tempranillo and Graciano are showing lovely plum and pepper characters and will be intriguing to see how they develop after time in oak and bottle.

Variety: Shiraz 100%: Organic | Biodynamic

Region: McLaren Vale

Vineyard: Quandong Farm

Colour: Crisp crimson

Drink with: Perfect with duck dishes

Cellaring: This wine can be enjoyed young, however, careful cellaring for 5–20 years will be rewarded

Vinification: The grapes were hand picked and selector harvested at optimum flavour and sugar equilibrium. 40% of the harvest was used as whole bunches while the remainder was delicately destemmed and fermented using 100% indigenous (wild) yeast . The small batch open ferments were carefully plunged and pumped over for 10-15 days to extract colour, flavour and tannin structure. The ferments were pressed to new and mature French oak puncheons, where they were nurtured for 12 months prior to blending and bottling.

Alcohol: 14.0%

Winemaker: Ashleigh Seymour and Kate Goodman

(SKU: PX_QUA_20)