2023 Neldner Vineyard Shiraz - 96 pts Wine Orbit
2023 was a much cooler year but thankfully not wet, this allowed us to leave the Shiraz grapes on the vine for as long as possible to get maximum flavour and ripeness (not over ripe though!). The season was incredibly late and is the latest I have yet to experience in the Barossa.
Handpicked grapes from an 80-year-old contoured Shiraz vineyard in Seppeltsfield, Barossa Valley. Picked in the cool of the morning, 18% whole bunch with the rest whole berries destemmed into open fermenters, cold soaked before natural fermentation slowly occurring as it warmed. A long cool ferment spread over 9-10 days retaining all the lovely structure and flavour before being basket pressed into 30% new American Puncheons (500lts) with the rest seasoned USA and French where it underwent natural Malolactic fermentation.
The wine remained in this same oak for 18 months before bottling with out fining or filtration to preserve the true character of the site.
96 points Wine Orbit - This is seductively expressed on the nose, showing dark fruit richness, cake spice, star anise, cracked pepper, and toasty oak characters with a hint of mocha. The concentrated palate offers power as well as refinement, wonderfully structured by loads of silky tannins, making it both substantial and sturdy, with a sustained, flatteringly classy finish. At its best: now to 2040
2023 was a much cooler year but thankfully not wet, this allowed us to leave the Shiraz grapes on the vine for as long as possible to get maximum flavour and ripeness (not over ripe though!). The season was incredibly late and is the latest I have yet to experience in the Barossa.
Handpicked grapes from an 80-year-old contoured Shiraz vineyard in Seppeltsfield, Barossa Valley. Picked in the cool of the morning, 18% whole bunch with the rest whole berries destemmed into open fermenters, cold soaked before natural fermentation slowly occurring as it warmed. A long cool ferment spread over 9-10 days retaining all the lovely structure and flavour before being basket pressed into 30% new American Puncheons (500lts) with the rest seasoned USA and French where it underwent natural Malolactic fermentation.
The wine remained in this same oak for 18 months before bottling with out fining or filtration to preserve the true character of the site.
96 points Wine Orbit - This is seductively expressed on the nose, showing dark fruit richness, cake spice, star anise, cracked pepper, and toasty oak characters with a hint of mocha. The concentrated palate offers power as well as refinement, wonderfully structured by loads of silky tannins, making it both substantial and sturdy, with a sustained, flatteringly classy finish. At its best: now to 2040
2023 was a much cooler year but thankfully not wet, this allowed us to leave the Shiraz grapes on the vine for as long as possible to get maximum flavour and ripeness (not over ripe though!). The season was incredibly late and is the latest I have yet to experience in the Barossa.
Handpicked grapes from an 80-year-old contoured Shiraz vineyard in Seppeltsfield, Barossa Valley. Picked in the cool of the morning, 18% whole bunch with the rest whole berries destemmed into open fermenters, cold soaked before natural fermentation slowly occurring as it warmed. A long cool ferment spread over 9-10 days retaining all the lovely structure and flavour before being basket pressed into 30% new American Puncheons (500lts) with the rest seasoned USA and French where it underwent natural Malolactic fermentation.
The wine remained in this same oak for 18 months before bottling with out fining or filtration to preserve the true character of the site.
96 points Wine Orbit - This is seductively expressed on the nose, showing dark fruit richness, cake spice, star anise, cracked pepper, and toasty oak characters with a hint of mocha. The concentrated palate offers power as well as refinement, wonderfully structured by loads of silky tannins, making it both substantial and sturdy, with a sustained, flatteringly classy finish. At its best: now to 2040