Australian Shiraz Special

Black Craft Shiraz

This Shiraz is sourced from the finest available vineyard sites across the premium Northern Barossa Valley including for the most part Greenock, Western Ridge and Ebenezer. Aged 11 months in a variety of oaks, all American and French, new and old, around 35% new. All oaks were AP John, Barossa coopered. As usual withSmalltown, it was fermented in open fermenters. They don’t set the blades too close together during crushing so a fair bit of whole berry in the ferment which gives the wine generous fruit and soft tannins.

A compelling, dark and rich chocolately beast. This is a classic Barossa Shiraz with intense savoury flavours of thick blackberry compote, black pepper and typical iron-rich beefy flavours. Not a hint of jam here, no sweetness, this is serious Shiraz for grown-ups with balanced acidity, a touch of cocao powder in the finish and tremendous length.

The name comes from the early origins in Australia of a German wine making tradition. Germans were the first free immigrants into Australia in the 1850s onwards. They planted Shiraz in Barossa. Germans also invented letter-press in the 1500s.The suspicion around the “magick” of a printing press at the coupled with the inky hands of the printers meant that the art became known as the Black Craft. The wine is an homage to both the German influence of the oldest wine making in Australia, as well as the letterpress.

As the name implies, black is the key – anything chargrilled would be superb here, so think griddle pans and barbecues!

Click here for more information about the winery

This is a partnership between Barossa Valley winemaker, Rolf Binder and UK wine merchant, Noel Young. Established in 1993 when Mourvèdre and Grenache were largely forgotten varieties, these two Rhône-philes have adapted that great larrikin of the Australian sky – the magpie – as their mascot. Driven by the desire to highlight the Barossa Valley’s rich resources of Rhône Valley varieties and to have a good laugh along the way, Magpie Estate claims Mourvèdre, Grenache and Shiraz as its own. The pair create a range of superbly crafted varietals and blends that collectively represent the many personalities and expressions of these three noble varieties in the Barossa.

To see our full range of Smalltown Vineyards’ products go to our website

Black Craft Shiraz

Soldiers Block Shiraz – Delicate red fruit and herbal aromas open up to a palate of ripe mulberry and plum fruit. the fine grained tannin and vanilla from the oak, work in balance to deliver a wine of poise and elegance.

Soldiers Block Shiraz is sourced from ancient Victorian soils in order to achieve a wine with greater finesse, purity and structure as well as typical eucalypt flavours and saline finish associated with the area. Picked at night and crushed within an hour of picking before being sent to the fermentation tanks. The Shiraz grapes were fermented in temperature-controlled tanks maintained at 22 – 25ºC to avoid extracting any harsh tannins, with the fermentations pumped over to extract good colour. 20% of the final blend is barrel aged. The winemaker also added 5% Malbec at the end of the whole process – a sneaky technique that gives a mulberry fruit twist on the finish.

Bright, aromatic and juicy on the nose with just a touch of naughty bacon fat. True to the varietal, the tiny proportion of Malbec in this blend gives a flowery perfume. This vintage is our brightest, most dangerously drinkable Shiraz to date due to its fine, bright fruit and soft silky elegance.

Drink with Moroccan lamb tagine, roast vegetables and hard cheeses

You can see our full range of Soldiers Block wines at https://www.auswinesonline.co.uk/product-category/soldiers-block/

To see more information on the producer go to https://boutinot.com/wines/soldiers-block-shiraz-victoria/pdf/

Foundstone Shiraz

The Foundstone Shiraz displays expressive varietal aromas of blackberry, blueberry earth and spice, that lead to a generously flavoured palate of mixed berries, blue plum, dark chocolate, and toasty oak

This Shiraz is densely coloured with youthful violet hues. The nose is expressive, offering an abundance of aromas, predominantly ripe blackberry and plums along with toasty sweet oak. The palate is generous and concentrated showing red berry, black currant and plum flavours. Complex oak characters of coffee, vanilla and caramel complement the full fruit Favours and create a rich, long and satisfying finish.

Foundstone Shiraz

To see our full range of Berton Vineyard wines go to our web page by clicking here

To find out more about the winery go to the website by clicking here

Established by Bob & Cherie Berton in May 1996 with 75 acres of land at 450m above sea level on gently rolling hills in a sub-region of Eden Valley in South Australia. The Reserve Shiraz and Reserve Chardonnay wines are still sourced from this plot. In 2007 Bob purchased the Yenda winery in the heart of the Riverina. This state of the art facility allows Berton Vineyards to produce value for money wines which sit alongside his premium single vineyard offerings.

Berton Vineyards all started at our Eden Valley Vineyard, in High Eden, South Australia. High Eden is a subregion of Eden Valley, situated in the Barossa Valley. It is the highest part of the Barossa, about 500 meters above sea level. In this beautiful part of the world we have planted Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. The best parcels of fruit from our Shiraz vineyards go into our Berton Vineyards Bonsai Shiraz, our flagship wine. Fruit from the Shiraz vineyard also forms the backbone for our Reserve Shiraz, which won the Decanter Platinum Best Value Rhone varietal in 2017. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc make our High Eden Range, and the Chardonnay goes into the White Rock Chardonnay and our Reserve Eden Valley Chardonnay.

Great wines from the Eden valley by Berton Vineyards

Trentham Estate Shiraz

THE GRAPES Shiraz, also known as Syrah, is thought to originate from the Rhone Valley in France and it continues to be the most predominant variety in this region. In 1831 James Busby collected cuttings from France and brought them to Australia. By the 1860’s Shiraz was established as one of the most important grape varieties in Australia and has developed an excellent reputation and is sought after worldwide.

THE VINTAGE ‘Late but great’ sums up the 2017 vintage. Good rain in spring, followed by mild weather and only short heat waves resulted in grapes ripening slowly on the vine. It was certainly an unusually late harvest but the wines are something to be proud of – well balanced fruit, plenty of flavour and distinct varietal aromas.

THE WINEMAKING Once harvested, the grapes were de-stemmed and pumped into the fermentation vessel. The fruit was fermented on skins for 7 days before pressing. After pressing, the wine was matured in a combination of new and aged French and American oak barrels. The wine was then blended and bottled in June 2017.

THE WINE Dark vibrant red in colour with lifted aromas of black cherry and chocolate. On the palate concentrated dark fruit flavours are complimented by subtle oak characters of mocha and spice. Full bodied and well-structured with firm ripe tannins providing balance and length.

THE FOOD Excellent match with any grilled red meat or a rich casserole.

ANALYSIS Varietal: Shiraz Alcohol: 14.5% Acid: 6.4 g/l pH: 3.51 Sweetness: Dry

Trentham Estate Shiraz is one of the range from the Trentham’ s winery which has been operating since 1988, where it has grown from the initial 30 tonne crush to a minimal but state-of-the-art facility handling up to 5,000 tonnes of premium fruit each vintage. It allows the flexibility to perform different winemaking styles, resulting in the diverse and always consistent Trentham Estate wines.

For more information on the winery go to https://trenthamestate.com.au/the-trentham-story

To see our full range of Trentham Estate product go to https://www.auswinesonline.co.uk/product-category/trentham-estate/

Broken Record Shiraz

To find out more about the producer and the wine go to http://www.boutinot.com/wines/

Quintessentially Australian, this range offers consistent quality, hugely appealing, commercial wine styles that have gained a loyal following. Reflecting our skill and experience in seeking out the very best of Australia, our wines capture ideal climatic conditions and pure varietal definition.

To see our full range of Boutinot products go to http://www.auswinesonline.co.uk/product-category/boutinot/

Broken Record Shiraz

Pimpala Road Shiraz

A strong, spicy Shiraz from South Australia which is well balanced with complex rich, expressive leathery palate and a hint of smoky American oak. Soft tannins and intense red berry fruit continue on the long finish with intense flavours of dark chocolate and spice. A great pairing for red meat dishes.

To find out more about the winery go to https://geoffmerrillwines.com.au/
To see our full range of wines by Geoff Merrill go to http://www.auswinesonline.co.uk/product-category/geoff-merrill-wines/

 Wine Companion 2019
5 RED STARs 6 straight years – Outstanding winery regularly producing wines of exemplary quality and typicity.

Best with barbecued meats, spicy sausages, pasta with ragu sauce, Thai red curries, pumpkin and roasted vegetables.
Mount Hurtle Winery is an oasis among suburbia, nestled amid 4 acres of vineyards and landscaped gardens. With an almost Tuscan charm, the original winery and 1500m2 barrel maturation cellar (completed in 1998) is now perfectly equipped to cope with the rigors of modern winemaking. A large family of geese and ducks also inhabit the winery grounds, especially the dam near the front entrance of the estate.

The history of Mount Hurtle Winery stretches back more than 100 years to 1897 when a young Welshman, Mostyn Owen, bought 200 acres of prime Reynella hillside. Here he planted out 150 acres of vines and built a winery, where he ran the property and produced wine until he passed away in the 1940s.

The winery itself was considered very innovative for its time due to its use of gravity to feed wine throughout the cellars, and is Heritage listed because of this.

Today Mount Hurtle Winery is an oasis among suburbia, nestled amid 4 acres of vineyards and landscaped gardens. With an almost Tuscan charm, the original winery and 1500m2 barrel maturation cellar (completed in 1998) is now perfectly equipped to cope with the rigors of modern winemaking. A large family of geese and ducks also inhabit the winery grounds, especially the dam near the front entrance of the estate.

Pimpala Road Shiraz by Geoff Merrill