Brown Label Shiraz brings together the best of three regions, uniting power and length from the Barossa Valley, the plush opulence of McLaren Vale and the fragrance and finesse of Langhorne Creek in a synergistic blend.

The original Wolf Blass Brown Label Shiraz was first released in 1975, a blend of Shiraz from Langhorne Creek and the Barossa Valley. The wine came to be known as Brown Label ‘Classic Shiraz’, evolving into the finest Shiraz blend of the vintage, with fruit selected from the year’s three most outstanding regions.

Batches of fruit from each vineyard were fermented separately in small open-top fermenters for 5 to 10 days. Plunging and gentle irrigation were used to work the cap and optimise flavour, colour and tannin extraction, providing for concentration and depth of fruit, while keeping tannins plush. Select batches completed fermentation in barrel, contributing to mid palate texture, while others finished fermentation on skins, providing structural length and focus. After 16 months’ oak maturation, each batch was carefully assessed before blending, to create a truly synergistic wine that brings together the finest attributes of Shiraz from each viticultural region.

Winter was drier than average, followed by a warm, dry spring and early-summer, with good conditions for flowering and fruit set. January and February were mild, with welcome rain in late January slowing ripening. This allowed for early lignification of seeds and stalks, with development of rich, bright flavours, dense colours and ripe tannins.