Shanahans Wines

“You reap what you sow; success doesn’t come with ease”

Variety: Shiraz.
Region:  Barossa Valley
Alc/Vol: 15.0%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Deep opaque purple core with a bright red edge.

Bouquet: Deep concentrated aromatic style, which may appear quite closed upon first impression, so I highly recommend allowing to breathe before serving. Once allowed to open and express itself you will find layers of plum, licorice, lavender and black olive.

Palate: Concentrated powerful fruit flavours of blackberry, plum, black olive and some dark chocolate. Again, allowing the wine time to open will reveal a natural fruit elegance and supporting oak flavours to reveal themselves and play a contributing not dominant role. Great length and drive into the finish with perfectly balanced natural fruit acid and silky-smooth tannins which give you a soft delicious culmination.

Winemaking: Sourced from a single vineyard on Dommenz Road in the Greenock sub region of the Barossa Valley on the Western Ridge, the Shiraz grapes were individually picked out in this vineyard for their exceptional quality just for this specific wine. Only the fourth release of this wine which is only released in the best vintages. The grapes are picked and delivered to the winery for crushing and were fermented in one small batch. Fermented with submerged cap in a small open top stainless-steel fermenter the skins were basket pressed and combined with the juice before being drained into barrel for 24 months in a mixture of 50% new and 50% second use French Oak Hogsheads and puncheon barrels for maturation prior to bottling with minimal fining and filtration.

Cellaring: Drinking exceptionally now upon release if allowed to breathe but I expect it will continue to evolve and drink well for the next decade.

"Why bark when you have a dog"

Variety: Grenache (48%) Shiraz (31%) Mataro (21%)
Region:  Barossa Valley
Alc/Vol: 14.0%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Bright purple and red colour.

Bouquet: Aromatics are once again the highlight of this time-honored Barossa blend. Classic Grenache is the obvious driving force which provides a fresh perfumed nose with vibrant plum and forest fruits, some liquorice, cherries and dried herbs.

Palate: Fruit forward style with dominant fruit characteristics whilst tannin and oak balance add the complexity. Lively fruit flavours with juicy forest fruits, dried herbs and a touch of French oak. The use of large old format oak creates a fine flowing style of wine with just the right amount of fruit weight and finesse whilst still giving length ensuring its multi-dimensional.

Winemaking: The Grenache, Shiraz and Mataro were all sourced from the Western Barossa Valley with the use of older 61-year-old Grenache (48%) and 25-year-old Shiraz (31%) providing the core structure whilst 59-year-old Mataro (21%) adds the earthy character. The vineyards are hand tended and the parcels used were selected and isolated from the rest of the vineyard picking a little earlier than fruit destined for other wines. The grapes were hand-picked and delivered to the winery and the Shiraz and Mataro were de-stemmed whilst half the Grenache component was left as whole bunches before being transferred to an open top fermenter. Pre-ferment cold soak before being gently pumped over or punched down by hand to achieve optimal colour and retain the critical fruit flavour. Post ferment maceration occurred before draining into large format 2–3-year-old 500 litre puncheon barrels for 12 months. Bottled and released whilst the flavour is still at its most vibrant.

Cellaring: Ready to be enjoyed now and will have a great lifespan which will enable it to be drunk over at least the next 5+ years.

“Silence is of great value, some things are better left unsaid”

Variety: Shiraz

Region:  Greenock, Barossa Valley
Alc/Vol: 14.5%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Deep dark black core with crimson purple edge.

Bouquet: Complex nose showing mulberry, raspberry and dark cherry with hints of plum, black olive and peppery spice.

Palate: Voluptuous, opulent and yet refined are the trademarks of Silence Is Golden. This vintage produced perfect fruit with a great level of intensity. A highly concentrated, pure wine featuring alluring flavours of blackberry, plum, black cherry and chocolate. There are tannins as smooth as velvet, with the slightest touch of acidity and wonderfully integrated oak, ensuring great intensity, length and cellaring potential.

Winemaking: Sourced from a single vineyard in Greenock on Dommenz Road. The Shiraz grapes were selected based on flavour profile, rather than Baumé, to ensure consistency of style. The grapes were picked and delivered to the winery, then gently worked through the de-stemmer before being transferred to an open fermenter with 20% whole berries. The juice is pumped over twice a day for seven days before draining and loading the skins into the basket press. The skins are then gently pressed for approximately 20 hours to retrieve more of the essence of the grape. After the wine has completed its malolactic fermentation, it is matured in 25% new and 75% older French oak barrels for 12 months prior to bottling, with minimal fining or filtration.

Cellaring: Allow it to breathe if drinking early. In its youth it will show wonderful fruit purity, but this wine is built to last and I expect to be drinking it over the next decade at a minimum.

“It’s the old dog for the hard road and the puppy dog for the footpath”

Variety: Shiraz

Region: Greenock, Barossa Valley
Alc/Vol: 14%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Deep dark core with opaque magenta edge.

Bouquet: Lifted aromatics with red and black fruits. There is plum, mulberry and raspberry notes. The complexity comes from spice, chocolate, olive and earthy notes.

Palate: The palate is rich, round and generous. Fruit-driven, with a velvety texture, it features plum, blackberry, chocolate, tobacco, spice and well-integrated oak, having the deftest influence. We release this wine to ensure drinkability upon release, as well as longevity. We do, however, suggest allowing this exceptional Shiraz to breathe and the tannins to melt away, truly reflecting who we are and where we are in terms of fruit source and sub-regional character. This wine celebrates our commitment to the region, traditional winemaking and a hands-off approach.

Winemaking: Sourced from two vineyards in Greenock: one on Dommenz Road and the other on Coad Road in the Nain Hills. The Shiraz grapes were individually picked in the vineyard for their exceptional quality; hence, we use multiple sites to ensure an optimum flavour profile. The grapes are picked and delivered to the winery, then gently worked through the de-stemmer before being transferred to small, open fermenters. The juice is pumped over twice a day for fourteen days before draining and loading the basket press. The skins are then gently pressed for approximately 20 hours to retrieve more of the essence of the grape. After the wine has completed its malolactic fermentation, it is aged in older, 2–4-year-old French oak barrels for 12 months prior to bottling, with minimal fining and filtration.

Cellaring: Drinking exceptionally now upon release and I expect it will continue to evolve and drink well for the next 5-7 years at a minimum.

“A promise is in honour's debt”

Variety: Grenache
Region:  Barossa Valley
Alc/Vol: 14%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Bright cherry red with purple hues.

Bouquet: Juicy characters on the nose featuring dark plum and red currant which leap from the glass and emulate fermenting must.

Palate: Dark plum, blackberry, spiced cherries, raspberry, minerals and Asian spices wrap around a skeleton of fresh acidity and fine mineral laden tannins.

Winemaking: Bush vine Grenache was handpicked and delivered to the winery where the fruit was partially de-stemmed into an open fermenter. Indigenous fermentation with 30% whole bunch was retained adding more complexity and structure. The fruit was then hand plunged for 10 days; after the wine was then pressed off skins using a basket press and into old puncheon barrels where the wine completed primary fermentation. It completed natural malolactic fermentation and was matured on lees for a 6 month period before being bottled with minimal filtration and no fining.

Cellaring: Ready to be enjoyed now and will have a great lifespan which will enable it to be drunk over the next 5-8 years.

"Our love will never grow old, it's Evergreen"

Variety: Riesling
Region: Springton, Eden Valley
Alc/Vol: 11.5%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Brilliant pale green

Bouquet: Floral, lemon and lime with lychee aromas followed by apple and some orange blossom adding depth and complexity to the nose.

Palate: Youthfully attractive but full and textured; the palate opens up with layers of flavour highlighted by citrus characters. Lemon and lime reflect on the palate whilst some grapefruit and crisp apple lead into natural fruit acidity which give a textural mouth feel. Extremely approachable in its youth upon release, the wine will have the ability to age gracefully over time.

Winemaking:  The Riesling is sourced from a single vineyard in the cool climate, high altitude region of Springton, Eden Valley in the Barossa ranges. The grapes were individually picked out in the vineyards for their exceptional quality and picked separately to the rest of the vineyard. To ensure the grapes were harvested at the optimum flavour and acid balance, the ripening of the grapes was monitored with regular berry tasting in the lead up to picking, then harvested in the cool of the night. After crushing and must chilling, the free-run juice was drained and clarified with minimum skin contact. This juice was then cool fermented between 13 – 15C with selected yeast to enhance the delicate Riesling flavours. The wine was bottled with a screwcap closure to retain the pristine aromas and flavours.

Cellaring Potential: Ready to be enjoyed now and will have a great lifespan which will enable it to be drunk over the next 5 years for those that enjoy aged style Riesling.

“Inside my heart forever you’ll go, If forever exists…”

Variety: Shiraz.

Region:  Barossa Valley
Alc/Vol: 15%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Deep purple to black core with a crimson edge.

Bouquet: Intense perfumed blackberry, dark cherries, cassis and exotic spice. Savoury notes with black olive, ironstone and oak.

Palate: The palate reveals a well-balanced wine which is highly concentrated yet has a plush mouthfeel. The black fruit combines with spice and dark chocolate with black forest cake adding additional dimension. The acidity is perfectly in harmony with the high quality oak tannin which propels toward a long spicy finish with a final touch of oak ensuring this is an epic wine.

Winemaking: Sourced from a small single vineyard in Maranaga region on the western side of the Barossa Valley, from vines planted in 1900. The Shiraz grapes were hand-picked due to their age and exceptional quality. The grapes were then hand picked and delivered to the winery where they were de-stemmed by hand on sorting tables before being transferred to a small concrete fermenter. The juice was pumped over two to three times daily for seven days to extract, homogenize and regulate temperature before draining and loading the basket press by shovel. The skins are then gently pressed for approximately 24 hours to retrieve more of the essence of the grape. The juice is then blended with the juice collected earlier. After the wine has completed its malolactic ferment, it was matured in our cellars in a mixture of American and French puncheon barrels for 2 years with submerged bungs without topping then bottled without fining or filtration. It was further bottle aged prior to release to ensure the quality of this small batch release.

Cellaring: Allow it to breathe for an hour or two prior to drinking to allow the true nature of the wine to reveal itself; this wine is built to last for decades or, If Forever Exists...

"Butter wouldn't melt"

Variety: Chardonnay
Region: Eden Valley
Alc/Vol: 13.5%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Pale straw.

Bouquet: Aromas of white peach, nectarine and citrus fruits are the dominant characters. Hints of clotted cream, lemon curd, soft spice, vanillin, crushed stone and nougat.

Palate: Pure citrus and stone fruits drive the palate with a fine seam of lacy acidity providing plenty of velocity. It finishes refreshing dry and savoury.

Winemaking: Fruit was harvested during the cool of the night with a selective de-stemming harvester. Fruit came from a block in high Eden from sitting at an elevation of 550m above sea level. The juice was barrel fermented in new and 1-4 year old French oak hogsheads and puncheons through to dryness. The wine went through regular lees stirring through maturation in 50% new and 50% older French oak. The final assemblage only included select barrels.

Cellaring Potential: Drinking exceptionally now upon release but will continue to drink well over the next 5 years.

"Our love will never grow old, it's Evergreen"

Variety: Riesling
Region: Eden Valley
Alc/Vol: 11.5%
Winemaker: John Harris

Colour: Pale straw with a green hue.

Bouquet: A delicate perfumed nose of lemon blossom and lime with a minerally character adding a third dimension.

Palate: Youthfully attractive but full and textured; the palate opens up with layers of flavour highlighted by citrus characters. Lemon and lime reflect on the palate whilst some crisp apple and natural fruit acidity give a really textural mouthfeel. Extremely approachable in its youth upon release, the wine will have the ability to age gracefully over time.

Winemaking: The Riesling is sourced from a single vineyard in the cool climate, high altitude region of Springton, Eden Valley in the Barossa ranges. The grapes were individually picked out in the vineyard for their exceptional quality to capture natural fruit acidity and freshness of flavour. To ensure the grapes were harvested at the optimum flavour and acid balance, the ripening of the grapes was monitored with regular berry tasting in the lead up to picking, then harvested in the cool of the night. After crushing and must chilling, the free-run juice was drained and clarified with minimum skin contact. This juice was then cool fermented between 13 – 15C with selected yeast to enhance the delicate Riesling flavours. The wine was bottled with a screw cap closure to retain the pristine aromas and flavours.

Cellaring Potential: Ready to be enjoyed now and will have a great lifespan which will enable it to be drunk over the next 5 years for those that enjoy aged style Riesling.