Proudly, a wine style that hasn’t succumbed to the dictates of fashion or commerce. St Henri is rich and plush when young, gaining soft, earthy, mocha-like characters as it ages. It is matured in old, 1,460 litre vats that allow the wine to develop, imparting minimal, if any oak character. Although a small proportion of Cabernet is sometimes used to improve structure, the focal point for St Henri remains Shiraz.
Unmistakably, Grange, this 2012 vintage is complex, flamboyant and lifted. An aromatic multi-cultural characteristics. The earthiness is well integrated with the aromas of dark fruits, grounded coffee, red liquorice and black olives, which leads to a firmly structured finish.
The fruit for the 2016 Vat 9 Shiraz was sourced from Tyrrells super premium vineyards on the Ashmans property with an average vine age of 50 years. Predominately from the Weinkeller and Short Flat vineyards. Winemaking The blocks were all hand picked and sorted in the vineyard before arriving at the winery. All the fruit was then destemmed but not crushed, followed by fermentation in traditional open top concrete vats. After fermentation the wiens were matured in newer 2700L French oak casks for ten months.
Ata Rangi’s Masters Pinot Noir received its inaugural release with the 2020 vintage. The vineyard, owned and farmed by Ata Rangi winemaker Helen Masters, lies just four kilometres south of the Martinborough terrace. Here, clay is naturally found throughout the gravelly soil and it helps to retain moisture, and keep temperatures cooler than typical Martinborough terroir. Masters is a kaleidoscopic expression of pinot noir, featuring aromas of mulberry, baking spices, rosewater, and blood orange, and a palate of rich fruit, pomegranate, nutmeg, and pink peppercorn. The influence of clay soils provides Masters with its expansive, signature texture. Masters is fermented with indigenous yeasts and 70% whole bunches. After two to three weeks in tank, the wine is pressed, and malolactic fermentation is completed in oak. Masters is aged in French oak (30% new) for 11 months, before it is blended, and then held for a further eight months before it is bottled.
Two words come to mind when you mention great Australian Merlot. Jim Irivne. Jim's Grand Merlot is the benchmark of complex and elegant Merlot in Australia and his Eden Valley vineyards are the perfect place to produce this iconic wine.
The Noble One by De Bortoli is considered Australia's premier dessert wine, and for obvious reasons. The wine has won countless awards at the leading wine shows around the country and has a wonderful propensity to develop even further in the bottle. The 2002 Noble One is a classic expression of the style with rich apricot treacle characters with fig and orange blossom still active on the nose and palate. Hints of vanilla bean and a refreshing acidity on the finish mean this decade old wine will continue to live in the cellar for many years more.
De Bortoli Wines Noble One Botrytis Semillon 2016 500mL
Houghton CW Ferguson Cabernet Malbec is a tribute to Charles William Ferguson. A pioneer of the Swan Valley region, Charles Ferguson was committed to developing the area along with the reputation of Houghton's. This Cabernet Malbec is the first release and is accumulating a list of gold medals the envy of most, including the Regional Trophy for best Australian red blend over £10 at the Decanter World Wine Awards 2011.
One of the benchmark wines to come out of the Coonawarra, the Penfolds Bin 128 is a delightful cool-climate shiraz. Matured in French Oak, with flavours of white pepper and floral spice, the 2014 Bin 128 is a rich and full-bodied Shiraz.