Deep Purple Hands Shiraz

Vineyards:
Stansborough : 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 with further planting in 2011 all are own rooted, clone is heritage and 1654, BVOVS5 & BVOVS10. The 2000 planted vines are spur pruned to 32-36 buds per vine, with the BVOVS clones cane pruned. The mid rows are cultivated to winter active fescue. No pesticides or herbicides are used and the vineyard has been run organically since 2018.
Thompson : The Thompson vineyard is situated next to the Stansborough with elevation and soil profile almost identical to the Stansborough vineyard. Clone is 1654, with the vines spur pruned.

Winemaking:
The Stansborough Shiraz was picked on the 22nd of February 2022 with the Thompson Shiraz on the 4th March 2022.
The Stansborough fruit was crushed into an open fermenter with auto plunging, with the Thompson fruit crushed to open fermenter with header boards. Temperatures were allowed to reach 32C to extract maximum colour with both the header boards and auto plunger allowing gentle extraction. After 14 and 11 days on skins respectively the fruit was basket pressed and transferred into French oak to undergo malo-lactic fermentation. After malo-lactic fermentation the wine was racked, blended then transferred back to the same oak and matured for another 16 months. The wine was pumped from oak in September.

Tasting Notes:
Intense Purple colour leads to an enticing nose of blueberry and raspberry conserve, black olive with earthy notes adding contrast. Full bodied palate with incredible fruit sweetness and intensity. The fantastic vintage allowed ripe textural tannins that balance the fruit sweetness. This wine can be enjoyed now but will reward over the next 10 years.

Analysis:
Alc/vol 14.5 % TA 6.58 g/l pH 3.51 G&F 8.5 g/l , VA 0.64 g/l