St. Andrews
Shiraz 2012
Enormously flavoursome with rich fruit characters of black cherry, plum and ripe berries. American oak adds nuances of vanilla, cigar box, coffee and toast.
| Previous Vintages | 2006, 2009, 2010 |
|---|---|
| Region | Clare Valley |
| Colour | At release, the wine has a deep crimson colour with a purple hue to the edge. |
| Nose | The wine has complex and enticing nose showing dark berry fruit along with juicy black plum, spice, cedar and hints of chocolate and roasted coffee. Mouth-watering wafts of spice and mocha oak invite you to taste. |
| Vintage Conditions | Growing conditions leading up to vintage 2012 were relatively mild, with regular spring rains promoting excellent vine canopy growth. Budburst was approximately 10 days earlier than 'average', and this early start flowed through until harvest time with most varieties harvested 1 to 2 weeks earlier than in a 'typical' year. Harvest conditions were excellent with only one substantial rain event occurring during harvest. Whilst it happened after most white varieties were picked, it had a positive effect on the red varieties, appearing to freshen them up, particularly the dry-grown blocks. Ideal ripening and flavor development conditions persisted to the end of April when the majority of the harvest was completed. Overall, yields were somewhat lower than long-term averages but our winemakers report that quality is outstanding across all varieties, with intense colour and excellent flavour development. |
| Oak Maturation | A percentage of the wine was barrel fermented and the final blend was matured in high quality, water-bent American oak barrels for 12 months prior to filtering and bottling. |
| Cellaring Notes | Crafted for immediate enjoyment but will cellar over a long term under ideal conditions. |