East meets West 2020
100% Shiraz
Released May 2022
750ml
The flavours in this wine reflect the cooler ripening season compared with the 2019 vintage. It was aged for 20 months with 30% new French oak. It’s soft, savoury, and spicy, with blackberry, olive and chocolate notes. The tannins contribute hints of vanilla and cedarwood and will help this wine age for 10+ years. It’s a great companion to roast lamb or a grilled fillet steak.
- Shiraz in the 2023 Heathcote Women in Wine Xmas Advent Calendar
Tasting Notes
The 2020 Vintage
2020 was an unusual vintage. In a reversal of normal events, a hot and dry spring reverted to cooler weather and good rains in the latter half of the ripening season. The early heat impacted fruit-set, resulting in reduced yields, however the gentle lead-up to harvest reinvigorated the vines and gave us excellent grape quality.
The Vineyard
Fruit was sourced from our Dowd’s Lane block which is on the west side of the ridge, and the Whitegate vineyard on the east side. The vines are unirrigated and relatively low yielding. They are cane-pruned by hand and wrapped to a single wire trellis to encourage some bunch shading during the heat of summer.
The Winemaking
This wine is a blend of 5 different Shiraz clones from vineyard blocks facing east and west and a range of picking dates. Natural complexity of flavour is created by combining the different clones, site aspects and picking dates and use of new and older French oak. The grapes were hand-picked, plunged in open fermenters, basket pressed and aged for 18 months in 30% new French oak prior to bottling. It has neither been filtered nor fined.
Variety: 100% shiraz
Vintage: 2020
Harvest Date: 27th February to 13th March 2020
Vineyard Location: Whitegate (east facing) and Dowd’s Lane (west facing)
Geology / Soil Profile: Deep, red rocky clay loam (derived from Cambrian Rock)
Viticulture Practices: Un-irrigated vineyards, zero tillage, grass sward between rows, cane pruned
Yields: <1 tonne/acre
Alcohol: 14.6%
pH: 3.8
Bottle Packaging: 750 ml punted burgundy
Closure: Stelvin ROTP Screwcap
Cartons: 6 bottles in branded cartons 1 x 6 stand-up.