This wine is a memorial to the majestic old vines which were tragically uprooted from their Barossa Valley earth during the infamous Vine Pull scheme of the 1980s. Our century old estate vineyard bears the name Black Sash and pays tribute to the survivors those vines which serve as a living reminder of the value of resilience in the face of adversity and the relevance of tradition in an environment of constant change . This evocative wine captures this spirit. It has been handcrafted with the use of traditional methods from the fruit of old vines and delivers a rich, opulent palate, a fleshy core of dark fruit sweetness and a finish of superb length.

Family Barrel Barossa Shiraz - selected single vineyard 40 year old vines. Shiraz showcasing layers of fruits, plum, cranberry & cherry ripe character. Aged in french & american oak 18 months. Basket pressed small open fermentation adds to the overall structure & finese of the wine.

Vintage conditions2017 vintage was set by a near-perfect growing season with a long-awaited wet winter and rainfall well above the long-term average. One of the wettest spring seasons on record minimised the risk of frost damage. Cooler than average spring and summer temperatures ensured a long, slow growing season and allowed intense flavour development and retention of natural grape acidity. Harvest was two weeks later than normal as a result of late January and early February rainfall.Vineyard selectionThe Shiraz is sourced from a selection of premium vineyards located in the northern Barossa Valley.WinemakingOnce the grapes have been identified to be of optimum maturation and flavour ripeness, the parcels are brought into the winery where they are destemmed and crushed into the open-topped fermenters. Manual pump-overs are conducted twice daily to provide extraction of colour, flavour and tannins. Towards the end of fermentation, the wine is drained and then pressed to a combination of predominately new French and American oak barrels for 17 months maturation. Careful barrel selection takes place before the wine is blended. The wine is neither fined, nor filtered.Tasting EvaluationColour: Typical 2017 colour of dark purple verging on black core with crimson rim.Aroma: Perfumed aromas of violets and blue lilies complimented with red cherry, dried cranberry, fig, green tobacco and sage. Subtle notes of camphor and sandalwood with some wafts of mocha appear upon subsequent swirling.Palate: Saturated red and blue fruits coat the surfaces of the palate. The acid line gives freshness and vibrancy. The fruit intensity has all but absorbed the 80% new oak barrels that were used in its production with an almost silky tannin finish.

TASTING NOTESThe dark, brooding regional characters of plum, red cherry and liquorice are all to the fore of this wine.The palate is focused and linear, with dark bitter chocolate notes and an elegant long persistent finish. We recommend cellaring for 10 years.WINEMAKINGThe most westerly zone of the Barossa, known as the Western Slopes, gives rise to some of the richest expressions of Shiraz from the Barossa. Soil: Heavy brown earth, red clay and crackled ironstone Altitude: 290mTo ensure the unique character of this sub region is exemplified in the wine, small open fermenters and our basket press were employed to gently extract the wine.Aging in the finest quality oak and selection of the truest barrels has created a wine that respects and expresses its place of origin.

Marananga, centred in the North West quadrant of the Barossa provides some of the Valleys most powerful wines. The red brown clay loam soils with schists and siltstone yield flavours of jam and fruitcake, cardamom, blueberry fruits, cocoa powder with an undercurrent of roasted meats and crackling.WINEMAKINGTo ensure the unique character of this sub region is exemplified in the wine, small open fermenters and our basket press were employed to gently extract the wine. Aging in the finest quality oak for 18 months and selection of the truest barrels has created a wine that respects and expresses its place of origin.

ALKINA Old Quarter Grenache Shiraz Mataro, Barossa Valley Alkina Old Quarter - a Grenache, Shiraz, Mataro blend. This is the purest expression of the character of our Greenock vineyard, our soils and our oldest vines, with minimal wine making intrusion. Made in very small quantities.

Alkina Spice Garden Shiraz, Barossa Valley A very welcome inclusion into the Premium Barossa Shiraz Club, Alkinas Spice Garden is 100% organic and biodynamic certified Shiraz from one specific block from which they produced just 44 cases (and some rare magnums). It looks and tastes like a high-gear Barossa Shiraz, with all the ripeness and power matched with a unique minerality.