The Pioneer

Shiraz 2013

This pinnacle release Shiraz is crafted from the very finest fruit selection and is entirely estate grown and bottled on the Taylor family estate in the Clare Valley, South Australia.

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Wine details

Tasting Notes

At release the wine is a deep crimson red with a vibrant purple hue.

Fragrant spice, dark cherry, plum, dark chocolate, freshly roasted coffee beans & charry oak characters.

This is a commanding wine with multiple layers of intense, lush dark berry fruit followed by spicy fruitcake & seductive mocha. The palate is full and generous but with precision to the structure and an appealing texture with velvety, mouth-coating tannins mingling harmoniously with fruit & spice. Elegant acids and light, long tannins carry the palate to a persistently rewarding finish.
Vinification

Directly after harvest, each parcel was de-stemmed, quickly chilled to 4°C & left to cold soak for 4 days. The fruit was then transferred to new headless American oak barrels and fermented at 22°C to 28°C over 7-10 days to add complexity & retain aromatics. The fermenting must was hand plunged twice daily to aid colour & tannin extraction. After a period of extended skin contact the wine was pressed, racked off gross lees and transferred back to the same barrels for secondary malolactic fermentation. Post MLF, the wine was matured in a selection of fine-grained American oak barrels. 40% in new oak & the balance in 1- 3 year old barrels. A barrel selection assessment took place after a year to identify parcels deemed 'exceptional' to return to barrel for 8 months maturation prior to bottling in June 2016.
Vintage conditions

Growing conditions leading up to vintage 2013 were benign, apart from a frost event in mid-October. It was a dry growing season with few rainfall events. Early December saw 30mm rain which was a season changer. Harvest conditions were excellent starting early February. Our winemakers reported excellent acid balance & flavour development.
Vineyard

Clare Valley
Technical details
- Acid: 6.51
- Alc %: 14.0
- PH: 3.47
- Residual Sugar: 0.69
Cellaring Notes

Up to 20 years from vintage.

Colour At release the wine is a deep crimson red with a vibrant purple hue.

NoseFragrant spice, dark cherry, plum, dark chocolate, freshly roasted coffee beans & charry oak characters.

PalateThis is a commanding wine with multiple layers of intense, lush dark berry fruit followed by spicy fruitcake & seductive mocha. The palate is full and generous but with precision to the structure and an appealing texture with velvety, mouth-coating tannins mingling harmoniously with fruit & spice. Elegant acids and light, long tannins carry the palate to a persistently rewarding finish.

Directly after harvest, each parcel was de-stemmed, quickly chilled to 4°C & left to cold soak for 4 days. The fruit was then transferred to new headless American oak barrels and fermented at 22°C to 28°C over 7-10 days to add complexity & retain aromatics. The fermenting must was hand plunged twice daily to aid colour & tannin extraction. After a period of extended skin contact the wine was pressed, racked off gross lees and transferred back to the same barrels for secondary malolactic fermentation. Post MLF, the wine was matured in a selection of fine-grained American oak barrels. 40% in new oak & the balance in 1- 3 year old barrels. A barrel selection assessment took place after a year to identify parcels deemed 'exceptional' to return to barrel for 8 months maturation prior to bottling in June 2016.

Growing conditions leading up to vintage 2013 were benign, apart from a frost event in mid-October. It was a dry growing season with few rainfall events. Early December saw 30mm rain which was a season changer. Harvest conditions were excellent starting early February. Our winemakers reported excellent acid balance & flavour development.

Clare Valley

Acid: 6.51

Alc %: 14.0

PH: 3.47

Residual Sugar: 0.69

Up to 20 years from vintage.

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