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.

Hand-picked from the top section of the 1891 Ancestor Vine block, the fruit was fermented in a two-tonne open fermenter and the skins were hand plunged three times a day. At sugar dryness the wine was drained off and the skins pressed. The resultant wine was transferred straight to barrel and matured for nearly two years in one new and two older French oak barriques. Elegant, restrained and poised. A wine of integrity and finesse. Red fruits following on the palate, fine French oak char and fine grain tannins.

One word - legend. Jack Mann served Houghton for a remarkable 51 consecutive vintages. His determination to create wines of intensity, elegance and regional character have inspired a generation of Australian winemakers to achieve great things. Simply one of this country's greatest Cabernets, this wine is not just single vineyard fruit, the selection process is so rigorous that often it is just a few rows from the Justin Vineyard. Such is the reverence for that great man - Jack Mann.

Lovely floral and spicy complexities, with hints of fruits of the forest, pepper and ginger snap. The palate displays the full range of dark berries, Mediterranean herbs, and savoury pan jus elements. It is tight and compact, intense and deep, firm and taut, with nicely measured grip and tremendous length. A powerhouse of a wine, but also one possessed of great elegance.

Just the second ever bottling of this extremely limited single vineyard bottling of Pinot Noir from the iconic Felton Road.