TASTING NOTES

APPEARANCE
Deep red with purple hues.

BOUQUET
A brooding nose of black cherry, plum and blackberry sitting beneath lifted
blue and red fruits, hints of mocha, roasted vanilla bean and a dusting of
nutmeg.

PALATE
A rich and vibrant fruit driven front palate layered with plums, blackberry
and red cherry that lead into a smooth mid palate of crème brulee, dark
chocolate and hints roasted coffee bean. Lively grape tannins provide
structure and focus from start to finish.         

Fruit richness and a luscious midpalate is the hallmark of this wine
style, with sympathetic and balanced oak completing the traditional Shiraz
flavour and structural profile.

ALCOHOL 14.5%

AGEING POTENTIAL
While crafted for immediate appeal, this wine will mature well with at least
5-10 years cellaring in controlled conditions.

WINEMAKING
This wine is selected from intense and powerful Shiraz parcels from our best
McLaren Vale vineyard blocks, with the variation in sites contributing
different layers of flavour and tannin textures that defines the wine style.
Harvest took place when the individual vineyard fruit flavours, grape tannins
and acids all reached maturity.

The 2018 vintage had a mild growing season with the shiraz harvest
undertaken between the 12th of February and 16th of March. Flavour
development was steady with good canopy architecture and mild conditions
during ripening allowed us to achieve the flavour intensity and purity we were
seeking while still managing to maintain moderate sugar levels. These
ripening conditions enabled the different vineyards to be picked when
the fruit was at its optimal. Judicious oak use contributed balanced oak
flavours and aromas that complement the wines tannin structure and richness.

Each batch was fermented for 7-10 days on skins with low intensity pump
overs conducted to preserve the primary fruit flavours in the wine. The
wine was then pressed off to finish fermentation in tank or new and old oak
barrels. During maturation, the wine from each vineyard batch is targeted
with appropriate oak styles to produce an array of base wines for us to use in
blending. Our oak barrels are sourced from coopers in France, USA and
Australia and are predominately seasoned for 3 years. Maturation was
for 20 months in both new and older oak barrels. The final components of
the blend are selected on their fruit intensity, richness, structure and the
integration of oak.

WINEMAKERS
Ben Tanzer & Steven Soper

Source: https://www.foxcreekwines.com