FAMILY RESERVE SHIRAZ

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Growing Season

Fruit for this wine is traditionally harvested from our 'Crest' vineyard where shallow soils lead to reduced vigour and yields. Once again the season was very dry with below average rainfall. The Crest vineyard was damaged by hail in October and yields were reduced by 30%. Verizon was very uniform and the remaining fruit was in spectacular shape at the end of the year with open bunches and uniform flavours. The fruit was harvested at night and immediately taken to the winery on March 4th.

Winemaking

This wine is made using only the finest parcels of fruit selected from low yielding vines. Gentle crushing is followed by transfer to the open fermenters where it is cold soaked for 24 hours. The must was then warmed up to 30ºc and inoculated with L2056 yeast. Fermentation took place over 7 days with hand plunging every 8 hours. The must was then transferred to the basket press and pressed off at 2.5 baume before being transferred to 1 and 2 year old American oak and new French oak and seeded for MLF. Following MLF the wines is racked stabilised and returned to barrel for maturation for 12 months. The wine was matured in bottle for 6 months prior to being released.

Tasting Notes

The Family Reserve Cowra Shiraz received special treatment in the winery, with traditional hand plunging, extended skin contact and 12 months maturation in American Oak. This has resulted in a complex wine with excellent balance and structure. The blackcurrant, spice and vanillin aromas are supported by a smooth, rounded palate which will continue to develop in the bottle over the medium term. Total production 300 cases.

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