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.

The Christopher This wine is a selection of the two finest barrels of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon in the winery for each vintage. It is dedicated to a young aspiring winemaker who had the potential to become one of the Barossas best. A blend of the two varieties that the region is most famous for and the two that Chris enjoyed working with the most. The wine is full bodied with a long seamless structure and balanced tannins. The rich dark fruit flavours of ripe Plum and Blackcurrants coat the palate. Aged for 24 months in new French oak to add spice and complexity to a wine that will last the ages.Rest in Peace our beautiful Christopher (1991-2018)

Brothers at War Single VIneyard Mataro The fruit for this single-vineyard Mataro comes from 80+-year-old vines from the Pendee Farm vineyard in Eden Valley. Fermented with natural yeast and 30% whole bunches with the balance being destemmed, not crushed, leaving the berries whole. The wine was hand plunged twice daily for two weeks before being pressed to seasoned French oak hogsheads then aged on lees for a year before bottling without fining or filtration.

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.

Each cask contains 1.5 litresAlcohol content 13.8%Vol.Variety Red WineNumber of Serves at 50mL = 30 (Lasts 1 Month)Resveratrol concentration: 400mg/L (as measured by the Australian Wine Research Institute)Consume 1-2 x 50mL per day.

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.