The Tawarri Vineyard sits high on the Merriwa Plateau at the highest point 165km inland in an isolated position at an altitude of 460, 10km from the ridgeline of the Great Dividing Range. The climate is very continental, yet surprisingly cool, a combination that gives extraordinary ripening potential for Shiraz. Extremely dry weather prevailed throughout budburst, with heatwave conditions experienced nationally, and some of the lowest rainfall figures we have seen from September to January. Yields were down slightly across all varieties producing stronger varietal flavours early, giving fruit with a classic degree of ripeness and flavour with bright balance of natural acidity. The dry and hot weather in the Valley floor was tempered at Tawarri because of its altitude this generated much more colour concentration, flavour, and palate intensity.

Hand-harvested and transported 160km down the valley to the winery. The fruit is crushed into small vats and left on-skins to cold-soak for 2 days prior to inoculation and fermentation. The ferments are punched-down each 8 hours to immerse the cap, for gentle extraction of colour and tannin. After ferment the wine is left in-vat on-skins for a further 3 weeks, reinforcing the full-bodied flavours with firm, muscular, well-knit tannins, which are compact at first but fan out wonderfully towards a supple, lithe finish. With a further 16 months maturation in fine grained larger format French oak.

Deep and vibrant black-red with a purple rim, the colour density is inky and full. Aromas are intense black-cherry / blackberry, with the fresh and seductive cool-climate signatures of violet flower, pastilles, black pepper and mint. These pretty aromatics combine superbly with the perfumed lift of fine-grained French oak, adding exotic scents of vanilla, cinnamon, and hints of nutmeg.Youthfully bright and refined, showing higher-toned yet compact black fruit concentration over fine yet deep, powder-soft tannins. It shows remarkable finesse for Hunter Shiraz, with darker tonalities of black fruit showing every nuance and detail.This black-cherry ripeness runs along a firmly structured backbone, padded with tight spicy richness that will give more the longer it’s kept.

Cellaring: 10+ years

Food match: black angus steak, hearty beef stew, aged cheddar