2017 Long Road Shiraz
2017 Long Road Shiraz
Shiraz has for a very long time been a mainstay of Australian wineries. After making some truly wonderful shiraz wines in the Barossa Valley, some of the most complex and high quality shiraz wines that we were tasting in Western Australia were grown in the Frankland River sub-region of the Great Southern wine region.
The name Long Road comes from the fact that each vintage, it’s a long drive on a long winding road to reach the vineyard to taste and sample the ripening grapes.
The shiraz grapes are harvested when the grape flavours are in the riper spectrum of dark cherries, blackberries and blueberries, but still retain some white pepper flavours.
Our winemaking philosophy is to handle our red ferments following traditional, artisanal winemaking practices with minimal additions. We ferment our shiraz in open topped fermenters for 7 days. Daily hand plunging of the skin cap in the morning, is followed later in the day with a ‘drain and return’. A portion of the shiraz ferment is also fermented in barrels to add extra flavour complexity. The wine completes fermentation through to dryness on skins then it is pressed off through our basket press. The shiraz is matured for 2 years in a mix of a French and American oak barrels.
Deep inky purple with plum red hues. Aromas of blueberry, dark cherry, chocolate, savoury spices and hints of fragrant white pepper. On the palate, the red and dark berry flavours continue, balanced by smooth, velvety tannins, and finishes with lingering savoury flavours of pepper and spice. This wine is balanced and elegant in style, with all the structure and flavour intensity to age well for the ten years or longer.
After making truly wonderful shiraz wines in the Barossa Valley, some of the most interesting and complex shiraz wines that we were tasting in Western Australia were from the Frankland River sub-region of the Great Southern wine region. So, naturally, we had to make one!
Vintage in the Great Southern Wine Region initially was looking like having an early start with warm to hot spring weather in late 2016. Heavy rain in January 2017, followed by much milder day time and cooler night time temperatures for the rest of Summer, delayed the harvest time slightly for the shiraz. The extended ripening time was a benefit though, producing Shiraz grapes which were quite exceptional with their intense flavours and ripe tannin structures.
The vines are planted in gravelly ironstone, sandy loam soils. As the Frankland River sub-region is quite a distance from the south coast of Western Australia, the inland climatic conditions of warm to hot days and cold nights provides ideal conditions for shiraz to be grown, and produces shiraz grapes with flavour intensity, savouriness and elegance.
Tomato, squash, cumin, sage, white beans, cloves, saffron, black olives, fennel, pepper, juniper berries, anise, nutmeg, cinnamon, chocolate, radicchio, thai mint, basil , cinnamon basil, chervil
$42.00
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