Varietal: 100% Shiraz
Region: Barossa Valley
Vineyards: Moorooroo Vineyards
Vines: Ancestor Vines
Oak: New to twice aged French oak hogsheads
Analysis:
Alc/Vol: 14.5%
pH: 3.50
Titratable acid: 5.5g/L
Food Pairing:
Roast beef with all the trimmings
Cellaring: Drink now to 2031
Inviting dark berry fruit, fresh vanilla bean and an almost floral petal like note reveal themselves on the nose, shyly at first but with a quickening pace and a building crescendo over time after opening. On the palate the wine makes a further statement and really make its mark with a mouth filling, chewy dark berry fruit quality which treads the line between a genuine depth of flavour whilst retaining a
vitality and brightness. The fruit holds long until the very back and showcases the quality of the raw materials and leaves the drinker with a decadent, indulgent and savouring aftertaste.
Hand harvested and then crushed into traditional open top fermenters, the wine
undergoes pre-fermentation cold soak before being either gently pumped over or punched down by hand according to winemaker specifications so as to obtain optimal colour and retain complex fruit flavours. Additional post-fermentation maceration usually occurs before the wine is then drained and pressed to barrel. Free run and pressings are usually kept separate and a combination of new and aged oak barrels are used for a maturation of between 18-24 months. The wine is then prepared for bottling before seeing some further time in bottle prior to release.
This irreplaceable vineyard was planted in 1847 by pioneering woman Ann Jacob, just eleven years after the foundation of South Australia putting them amongst the oldest in the world. Situated between Jacob’s Creek and the North Para River the vineyard gets its name from the Indigenous word ‘Moorooroo’ meaning ‘meeting of two waters’.
2020 was a year that presented some early season challenges. A lack of rainfall and heat meant yields were significantly lower than average. However, almost ideal conditions prevailed towards the back end of the growing season in late
January and February. These were a welcome arrival allowing grapevines to relax and flavours to develop slowly and steadily towards the onset of harvest. In addition, the milder late season conditions ensured that natural acid levels
remained high, and winemakers had time in which to operate and make optimum harvest decisions. Small yields but genuinely high quality were the hallmarks of 2020.
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