The ninth release of this wine, and the vintage perfectly reflects the site. A complex nose laden with spice and red fruit, leads onto a poised, balanced palate. Graphite, sage, Kalamata olive brine, and satsuma plum, are some of the myriad of flavours on the palate, which is lively and medium bodied. Fruit, spice, fine grippy tannins, and acid all contribute on the long finish, a good indication of this wine’s great aging potential.

The growing season for the 2021 vintage was terrific, a joy after the traumas of 2020. Soaking winter rains gave us plenty of moisture in the soil, and that flowed into healthy crops. The summer was mild, slow ripening, with lots of flavour.

Aged for 14 months in 500 to 600 litre French oak barrels, 15% new, followed by a further 14 months in bottle.

Will reward careful cellaring from up to 20 years.

From close-planted (5,500 vines/hectare) low yielding vines from block two at Shaw + Smith’s Balhannah Vineyard, planted in 2005. It has a north-facing aspect and the soils are loam over clay, ironstone, quartzite, and shale. Hand picked, sorted and fermented as whole berries and whole bunches, in open fermenters, with gentle plunging and minimal working. Majority aged in 600 litre French oak puncheons (15% new) for 14 months, followed by a further 24 months in bottle.