2019 After Five Wine Co.
Single Vineyard Blend (Serata)
$45.00
Sourced from the Stansborough vineyard, we are lovers of blends that bring to life something unique and quite different from any of the single varietals that go into the wine. When we planted Montepulciano and Aglianico alongside the Shiraz the idea was certainly to release single varietals but also with the intention of producing a single vineyard blend.
Complexity and structure and length, these two Italian varieties deliver these elements, a perfect foil when blended with Shiraz. We think the combination of the Australian and Italian varieties provides an interesting wine with a lot of complexity and style. As such we sought a name for the blend that had roots in the Italian side, and came up with the Italian word Serata which roughly translates into coming together and having a pleasant evening with friends.
An appropriate name for an After Five wine.
188 in stock
Vineyard:
Single Vineyard : Stansborough vineyard. The site is around 260-280m above sea level with an east west aspect. Soil consists of a shallow red clay top soil over friable red clay with bands of quartz, ironstone and shale. The vineyard was planted in 2000 and is own rooted, clones are heritage and 1654. The vines are spur pruned to 32-36 buds per vine. The mid rows are cultivated to winter active fescue.
Winemaking:
The Shiraz fruit was destemmed and lightly crushed (rollers open) to an concrete open fermenter and was seeded with Prelude yeast (Torulaspora delbreuckii). Temperatures were allowed to reach 28C with header boards allowing gentle extraction. After 9 days on skins the fruit was basket pressed and transferred into older French oak. The Aglianico and Montepulciano were both fermented in concrete opens with header boards and on skins for 9 and 10 days respectively. Both were basket pressed to older French oak. After malo all wines were racked, SO2 added and transferred back to oak for 6 months before blending and further maturation for 10 months. No finings or filtration used.
Tasting Notes:
Vibrant colour, aromas of Turkish delight, cherry, plums, licorice and herbs giving so much complexity. Similar fruit flavours appear on the palate with one of the highlights being the evenness and length of the fine tannin, certainly a sign of a bright future for this wine. We feel the Barossa Shiraz adds plushness and fruit sweetness, the Montepulciano adds bright cherry fruit while Aglianico giving the fine tannin and natural acid aiding with the length. This unique blend can be enjoyed now but will reward over many years with careful cellaring.
Cellaring:
Drink now or cellar carefully and enjoy over the next 8 years.
Analysis:
Current Vintage Accolades
2019 Vintage
Andrew Caillard MW – 94 points
Regan Drew (Wine Pilot) – 94 points
Wine Showcase Magazine – 94 points
QWine Reviews – 94 points
Tyson Stelzer (Halliday Wine Companion) – 93 points
Barossa Wine Show – Silver Medal
Adelaide Wine Show – Bronze Medal
Previous Vintage Accolades
2018 Vintage
Wine Showcase Magazine – 94 Points
Andrew Caillard – 94 Points
Regan Drew – 94 Points
Tysone Stelzer (Halliday Wine Companion) – 93 Points
2022 Barossa Wine Show – Silver Medal
2021 Adelaide Wine Show – Bronze Medal
2016 Vintage
Campbell Mattinson – 95 Points
Ray Jordan – 94 Points
Wine Showcase Magazine – 93 Points
Patrick Eckel – 93 Points
Australian & NZ Boutique Wine Show – Bronze Medal
2017 Vintage
2019 Barossa Wine Show – Gold Medal
James Halliday – 95 Points
Wine Showcase Magazine – 94 Points
Campbell Mattison – 94 Points
2018 Vintage
2019 Barossa Wine Show – Gold Medal, Barossa Cellar Trophy Chairmans Selection
Wine Showcase Magazine – 94 Points
Nick Stock – 93 Points
Reviews
Toasty warm spice over Turkish Delight chocolate, dried kitchen herbs and rose petals, clove spice, warm dinner roll, dusty licorice and vanilla tinges. Slick and smooth palate. Silky from front to back with fine, echoing tannins. Perfect pitch acidity for juicy enjoyment. All parts in harmony. Regan Drew 94 points
Deep colour. Intense dark cherry, black plum, dark chocolate aromas with herb garden notes. Attractive choco-berry liquorice/ aniseed flavours with loose knit, almost ferruginous tannins and underlying savoury notes. Finishes chocolaty firm with plentiful dark fruits. Very well-balanced wine with a fresh vigorous structure. Stansborough Vineyard, Williamstown 50% Shiraz, 29% Montepulciano, 21% Aglianico. Drink now – 2028. Andrew Caillard MW 94 points
The blending of unlikely bedfellows Shiraz, Montepulciano and Aglianico (50/29/21) has delivered an absolute treat. A generous wine with a stunning savoury edge, be sure to decant to see it at its best.
On opening, this was firm and muscular yet the metamorphosis to day two of tasting was quite incredible. I couldn’t put the glass down. Plums and dark berry fruit are painted on thick. Along with some licorice, they are the heroes early before they fold with ease into an array of dried herbs and exotic spices. Some rose petals offer a pretty mouth perfume and tea leaf like tannins waltz through to a long and moreish finish.
Decant to enjoy now but it will age wonderfully over the medium term. Dive in with pike! QWine Reviews
