Penfolds Bin 389 South Australia Cabernet Shiraz 2015

Bin 389 is often referred to as ‘Baby Grange’, in part because components of the wine are matured in the same barrels that held the previous vintage of Grange. First made in 1960, by the legendary Max Schubert, this was the wine that helped to forge Penfolds solid reputation with red wine drinkers combining the structure of Cabernet Sauvignon with the richness of Shiraz. Bin 389 also exemplifies the judicious balance of fruit and oak.

After a dry South Australian winter reminiscent of 2006, vines were in water deficit at the beginning of spring and became accustomed to dry conditions quite early. Early budburst was noticeable across many regions and windy conditions during flowering were, in some regions, responsible for variable fruit set and lower than average yields come vintage. Dry spring conditions explained canopy growth and low yields, becoming typical of the 2013 growing season. Warm days were dispersed throughout October, November and in early January, contributing to an early start to the 2013 harvest and a short, condensed vintage. Dry and warm conditions, coupled with lower than average yields resulted in fruit showing strong, structural tannins and wines of great intensity and encouraging flavour.

Grape Variety: 51% Cabernet, 49% Shiraz

Curtis Family Vineyards Limited Series McLaren Vale Grenache 2015

This producer sources fruit from a combination of owned vineyards and premium McLaren Vale growers. The blend of individual vineyard and sub-regional characteristics is the key to the resulting style. Sub regions are Blewitt Springs, McLaren Flat, Willunga and McLaren Vale.

Wine was matured in oak barrels, ranging from new to 2 year oak. with a mixture of French and American oak.

Western Barossa Wines Barossa Valley GSM 2016

We hand picked a small section of Grenache from Block 4 rows 7-23, Shiraz from block 5 rows 1-12 and block 8 rows 3-9 to created a style of wine guided by the fruit initially. We wanted a wine driven by fruit yet surrounded in a bed of spicy flavours and tannin therefore selected these small sections as the fruit produced dark berry flavours with wonderful spice characters which would infiltrate not be overwhelmed by second and third use oak. The fruit was transferred to the winery and the fruit was combined together to ensure it worked harmoniously through the entire winemaking process; macerated for an extended period with seeds and stems to allow us to give a vision of the vineyard in the final wine. The wine was left in this state for 30 days and hand plunged which ensured we extracted all the colour, aromas and tannin we could. Basket pressed into barrel again allowed us to continue the hands off method and ensure fruit purity was key again this ensures longevity. The wine was not topped during its 256 days it spent in barrel then finally it received minimal filtration and fining. This wine illustrates just how beautiful a wine from the warm Wild West can be, in a word moreish.

A wine, which will appear beautifully, round and lavish if drunk upon release whilst the oak tannins provide a backbone, which will ensure drinking over the next decade will not be a problem.

The Wine Barossa Valley Marananga Shiraz 2016

Hand selected and hand picked fruit was used for this wine and it underwent fermentation in stainless steel open top fermenters, and was pumped over twice a day, the wine was pressed then transferred to new hogshead barrels where it completed its malolactic fermentation. The wine was topped regularly and racked once whilst maturing in barrel.

Olssen of Watervale The Olssen Six Clare Valley 2015

Carefully selected parcels of fruit were selected from the Watervale region in the Clare Valley. We picked in the evening in and decided to macerate over night and crush the fruit early the next morning. The wine was fermented in older French barrels, and left to age in oak before we selected only the best barrels of the vintage for inclusion in the final six blend then the wine was blended and bottled with minimal fining or filtration.

Evil Incarnate Shiraz 2016

Select parcels of fruit were selected due to their intense fruit flavour and then were picked, transported to winery, crushed immediately. The skin and juice mix is allowed to warm naturally over several days after which it begins fermentation. Fermentation is held cool which helps to retain bright primary fruit characters in the wine. Following ferment, the wines are carefully pressed, separating them from the skins. The wine is then run down to oak barrels for maturation, before being blended, filtered and then finally bottled.