2017 Greenock Creek Roennfeldt Road Shiraz 750ml

Sourced from a single 1.3 hectare dry grown vineyard planted on a gently sloping, south east facing site at Marananga on Roennfeldt Road, arguably Australia’s finest red wine address. The ancient vine roots are anchored deep into the quartz stone rich loam soils which provide a consistent source of sub surface moisture that assists with maintaining vine health and promoting even ripening. During late January to March in the lead up to harvest, gully breezes rise up from the Valley floor to cool the canopy. This element, combined with a ridge line to the west which protects the vines from the late afternoon sun, prolongs ripening and enables the fruit to achieve a remarkable level of flavour intensity, whilst retaining good natural acidity. Dry grown, the old vines yield a small crop of compact bunches of densely flavoured berries, cementing this site’s reputation as an exceptional Barossa Valley vineyard, and the source of an iconic Australian Shiraz.

The preceding 2016 winter and spring was one of the wettest on record. The resulting wet soils, combined with a cooler than average spring and early summer meant the vines grew slowly but healthily with excellent canopy development and good bunch weight/numbers. Barossa experienced generally average temperatures through summer, and March saw the beginning of an Indian summer, which lasted until late April when most of the fruit for Greenock Creek was harvested. This was perfect for consistent ripening of grapes, with good colour development and natural acidity being retained.

The fruit was hand-picked and fermented in open slate fermenters for 6-7 days before the wine was transferred to 100% American oak (20% new) for two years. The wine was then bottle matured for three years before release.

The wine is cherry red in the glass, with blueberry and blackcurrant on the nose, along with vanilla bean and char notes from the oak maturation. An incredibly powerful expression of Barossa Valley Shiraz, showcasing multiple layers of rich fruit wrapped around firm ripe tannins intermingled with distinctive rum/ raisin characters, candied figs and sweet praline biscuits which flow through to a long and persistent finish. Time in oak brings mid palate creaminess and sweetness to the wine. The tannins are tight and focussed, providing a linear framework balanced by a sweet acid finish.

Cellaring recommendation: 10-15 years