"Why bark when you have a dog"
Variety: Grenache (67%) Shiraz (27%) Mataro (6%)
Region: Barossa Valley
Alc/Vol: 14.0%
Winemaker: John Harris
Colour: Dark purple with some lighter shades of red.
Bouquet:Aromatics are once again the highlight of this time-honoured Barossa blend. Classic Grenache is the obvious driving force which gives a big hit of perfumed, fragrant flowery and juicy red fruits and a touch of cherry, forest floor and exotic spice create the depth and complexity.
Palate: Silky fruit driven style which is quite supple with good mid palate weight. The wine has flavours of bright crunchy red fruits, with a lick of dried herb spice and dark cherry. The fine subtle tannins and acid provide the core structure whilst the natural fruit sweetness from the Grenache ensures fruit is the key component. The use of old large 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 some older 65-year-old Grenache and 70-year-old Shiraz providing the core structure, whilst the Mataro 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. Fermentation was cool with the juice being pumped over twice a day for seven days before draining and loading the press. The skins are then gently pressed for approximately 20 hours to retrieve more of the essence of the grape. After the wine completed its malolactic ferment, it was matured in 2-3-year-old large format 500 litre and 300 litre oak barrels for 12 months prior to bottling.
Cellaring: Great to drink now whilst young and vibrant, but will mature and develop complexity over the next 5 years.