The Vineyard
Fechner Vineyard is owned and farmed by brothers Michael and Graeme Fechner near Moculta in the northern end of the Eden Valley.
The Fechner Vineyard is unique, being one of only a few eastern-facing vineyards in the Eden Valley region. The eastern slope offers cooler daytime temperatures together with higher altitude and cool valley winds, which produces optimum growing conditions for Shiraz.
Site location: Moculta – Eden Valley
Map coordinates: -34.475005,139.071367
Clone: 1654
Planted: 1999
Elevation: 345m
Aspect: East facing
Harvest: 21st March 2014
Tonnes: 1.78T
Soil: Broken Grey schist integrated with shallow limestone and red clay, very complex ancient soil.
The Vineyard
Hand-picked and destemmed to an open-top tank for fermentation and gently hand plunged two to three times daily.
Pressed directly to oak with 3 weeks barrel fermentation followed by 10 months maturation – 60% French, 40% American, with 20% new oak.
Unfined, unfiltered, vegan.
Bottled: 2nd February 2015
Production: 1,466 bottles – 120 dozen
The Wine
Somewhat shy at first, our Eden Valley Shiraz playfully opens with cardamom, tea leaves and dense dark berries. The mouth has a burst of sweet velvety fruit, charred with dark chocolate-coated oranges and layered with earthy tannins, just like the site. Every glass offers more to an unfolding journey, elegantly rich and alluring.
Drinking: Enjoy now or cellar to 2044.
Alcohol: 13.5% alc/vol
Reviews
97 points - James Halliday, Halliday Wine Companion.
95 points - Jane Faulkner, for Wine Companion
95 points - Huon Hooke
94 points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front