Made from Shiraz with a dash of award winning Viognier to give a full, smooth mouth feel, this wine is rich, round and aromatic, and hails from an excellent vintage.
Tasting Notes
The colour of this wine is a deep, deep red, matched in intensity by its aroma of concentrated ripe black fruits, complex spice and savoury elements. The gentle hints of spicy apricot are thanks to the Viognier component. The year 2012 was very warm, which created a very intense palate, complementary to the aromas. Have a sip and be blown away by this wine’s round, full flavour profile, which shows intense fruit characters and earthy elements. The enduring tannins frame the structure of the wine nicely and there’s a lingering mineral acidity that balances the wine right to the final note. This drop expresses the classic terroir for which Bendigo is so well loved, and shines as a result of the excellent vintage conditions. If you like your wines big and brash, then drink this now. Give it a few years in the bottle and you’ll see it soften and round out nicely.
Ratings
96 Points - 2016 James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 96 Points - 2015 James Halliday Australian Wine Companion
Awards
Wine Star Top 100 Wines of 2014, #29 2014 Air Liquide Concours De Vins de Victoria 2014, Silver Medal
Winemaker Notes
We love the consistently high-quality fruit that comes from this vineyard. In 2012, the yields were low, which resulted in particularly concentrated fruit for both shiraz and viognier. It was harvested for optimum balance, ripeness and intensity of flavour. We de-stemmed all the fruit without crushing the berries to preserve their physical integrity and transferred it to 9000L wooden vats and a few smaller 2000L stainless steel vats. After a gentle whole-bunch press, the viognier skins were fermented with the shiraz to maximise flavour intensity. The bulk of the grapes were fermented naturally with a combination of different maceration times (mainly pumping over) from 30 to 60 days on skins.
Food Pairing Notes
Grilled steak seasoned with peppercorn sauce will pair well with this intense wine.
