2021 ‘Balhannah Vineyard’ Shiraz

A complex, finely-textured Shiraz expressing the conditions of each vintage and the character of a unique vineyard site. From close-planted (5,500 vines/hectare) low yielding vines from block two at Shaw + Smith’s Balhannah Vineyard, planted in 2005. It has a north-facing aspect and the soils are loam over clay, ironstone, quartzite, and shale. The growing season for the 2021 vintage was terrific, a joy after the traumas of 2020. Soaking winter rains gave us plenty of moisture in the soil, an...Read More...

A complex, finely-textured Shiraz expressing the conditions of each vintage and the character of a unique vineyard site. From close-planted (5,500 vines/hectare) low yielding vines from block two at Shaw + Smith’s Balhannah Vineyard, planted in 2005. It has a north-facing aspect and the soils are loam over clay, ironstone, quartzite, and shale. The growing season for the 2021 vintage was terrific, a joy after the traumas of 2020. Soaking winter rains gave us plenty of moisture in the soil, and that flowed into healthy crops. The summer was mild, slow ripening, with lots of flavour. Hand picked, sorted and fermented as whole berries and whole bunches, in open fermenters, with gentle plunging and minimal working. Majority aged in 600 litre French oak puncheons (15% new) for 14 months, followed by a further 24 months in bottle. - Shaw + Smith.

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