Cliff Edge Shiraz
A Shiraz of great intensity, purity and finesse with aromas of black and red berried fruits, vanilla, tar and baking spice through to a silky palate with a touch of mocha.
TastingNote
A Shiraz of great intensity, purity and finesse with aromas of black and red berried fruits, vanilla, tar and baking spice through to a silky palate with a touch of mocha.
Grape
Shiraz 100%
Cultivated sustainably,
the estate is a member of Sustainable Wine Growing Australia. In 2018 Adam Louder, previously a cellar hand under Trevor Mast, became Head Winemaker, he crafts iconic wines that are elegant, full of finesse and the epitome of cool-climate Shiraz.
Vintage
2020 was a relatively cool year, the season was drawn out, adding to the complex spice, red fruit and natural acidity. There was not enough sunshine in the second half of the season to ripen the very best blocks within the Langi single vineyard to produce the flagship, ‘Langi Shiraz’, so in 2020 it was not produced. As a result, the 2020 Cliff Edge benefits from a good share of Swiss clone fruit from the Langi Old Block vineyard.
Vineyard
The Mount Langi Ghiran vineyard is located at an elevation of 350 metres above sea level and set between the namesake Mount Langi Ghiran (922m) and Mount Cole (760m). The mountains create a cooling effect as cold air tumbles down and into the valley and the shadow cast shortens the effective sunshine hours in autumn, extending grape ripening and contributing natural acidity and intense fruit flavours. Mountain erosion over time has created a unique profile of granite sands over sedimentary red clay loam. The texture of this soil profile is ideal for moderating the natural vigour of the Shiraz vine and contributes the subtle spicy pepper flavour for which Mount Langi Ghiran has become renowned. The vines have an average age of 25 years and are Swiss and PT23 clones, with the majority on their own rootstocks. The vineyard is harvested by a combination of hand and machine, to retain the quality of fruit.
Winemaking
100% whole berry fermentation took place, with natural yeasts in large concrete and smaller open-top fermenters. Manual plunging or pumping-over occurred during a period of two weeks on the skins. Shiraz benefits from open-top fermentation, being a naturally reductive variety, it allows oxygen exposure to be maximised, without overworking and over extraction. The wine was pressed to tank to settle overnight, before being transferred to barrels where malolactic conversion was finished off. 14 months barrel-maturation in 100% French oak barriques (30% new).
Producer Note
Established in 1969, Mount Langi Ghiran, the Aboriginal for ‘home of the yellow tailed black cockatoo’, is set amongst the dramatic backdrop of the Great Dividing Range in the Grampians region of Victoria. The first vines were planted on the property in the late 1800s, but it was in 1969, when the Fratin brothers replanted the vineyards, that Mount Langi Ghiran really came into its own. In 1980, the talented and energetic wine consultant Trevor Mast worked with the Fratin brothers raising the quality and six years later he purchased the property. Trevor pioneered the cool-climate style and with that, one of Australia’s most iconic wines the Langi Shiraz, was born.
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Cliff Edge Shiraz
£23.00 a bottle
Out of stock
The vineyards of Mount Langi Ghiran are nestled between two dramatically beautiful mountain ranges on the southern edge of the Great Dividing Range in Western Victoria, 180 km west of Melbourne. Pronounced “Mount Langee Jeeran”, the name is Aboriginal for “Home of the Yellow-Tailed Black Cockatoo”. The initial vineyards were planted by the Fratin brothers in 1963, on the site of a vineyard that had been in operation at the turn of the century. Their first plantings were Shiraz, and initially, the grapes were sold to neighbouring winemakers. The exceptionally high quality of their fruit quickly drew a strong following and encouraged the Fratins to begin making their own wine. In 1979, Trevor Mast was appointed consultant winemaker. Inspired by the potential of the vineyard and keen to develop it further, he purchased the property in 1987. Two partnerships followed, until in late 2002 the property was purchased by the Rathbone family, also proprietors of Yering Station winery in the Yarra Valley. Dan Buckle joined the winemaking team at Mount Langi Ghiran in 2003 and brings to the team not only a great breadth of winemaking experience gained both in Australia and abroad, but skills across a variety of disciplines.
The start of wine production in this region dates back to the 1860s brothers Joseph and Henry Best established a vineyard near Concongella. This is now the jewel in the crown of Best’s Wines. This region is ideally suited to Shiraz – intense berry and black pepper characteristics sometimes accompanied by tinges of eucalyptus. Also noted as particularly good for Riesling. The climate is regarded as cool ‘continental’. The main wine styles: Red – Shiraz; Sparkling; White – Riesling.
flourish in a range of climates. In the warm to hot climates you can expect extremely intense aromatic, rich, full bodied wines, with hugh fruit (almost sweet) and chocolately tasting. In the more moderate/cooler climates you’re more likely to find structured Shiraz wines with black cherry, pepper and spice characters rather than the chocolate and fruit styles found in warmer climates.
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