The Vineyard
John and Al Shobbrook own and farm this biodynamic vineyard.
Site location: Seppeltsfield – Barossa Valley
Map coordinates: -34.501853,138.915622
Clone: 1654
Planted: 1998
Elevation: 241 meters
Aspect: West facing
Rows: 30-35
Harvest: 17th February 2015
Tonnes: 1.05T
Soil: Heavy, dense dark brown and red clay over limestone.
The Winemaking
Hand-picked in the cool of the morning and gently de-stemmed to preserve whole berries. Fermented in an open top tank with a light hand plunge two-three times daily.
Basket pressed directly to oak with three weeks’ barrel fermentation followed by 11 months’ maturation in oak – 55% French, 45% American, with 35% new oak.
Unfined, unfiltered and vegan.
Bottled on 15th February 2016, 78 dozen produced.
The Wine
With its dense rich soil and warm sunny slope, the Little Hill Shiraz is intense and opulent. Generous dark cherry fruit and blackberry jam with cardamom and vanilla spice. The palate bursts with layers of fruit, smooth, silky and vibrant, with powdery tannins and baked gingerbread biscuit notes.
Alcohol: 14.5% alc/vol
Release: Winter release - Aug 2017.
Drinking... enjoy now or cellar to 2035.
Reviews
94 points - Philip Rich, Halliday Wine Companion.
93 points - Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front
93 points - Huon Hooke
