Vine Vale, Barossa Valley - 100% Shiraz
The Magnolia 1896 Shiraz is sourced from the oldest vines on our Magnolia Road vineyard with a total area of .45Ha, sitting at an elevation of 315 metres. These ancient vines are dry farmed in shallower sands that have mica laden clay at depth. The block is also strongly influenced by cold air drainage from the three surrounding gullies as described previously. The vines are detailed rod and spur pruned and shoot and bunch thinned to control yield and quality. The fruit is handpicked and hand sorted. There’s something special about old vines and the fruit they produce. There’s an ‘X’ factor, another level of depth and complexity. There’s also a saying of ‘They’re not good because they’re old, they’re old because they’re good'. The fact an old vineyard is still in the ground a century or more later shows that they had an inherent quality that was well regarded. A quality that we see in the 1896 Shiraz. 14.0% Alc.
Tasting Notes: Complex, cerebral, wonderful! Wagyu jus, enoki mushrooms, provincial herbs, charcoal and carbon. Magical mix of fruit, minerals and provincial foodstuffs with Asian umami and soy. It reminds me of being in a vineyard soil pit with the smell of earth and fresh minerals along with the smell of broken vine roots. Might sound weird but it’s ethereal, of place. So captivating and complex. Yes!
JH 96
Shiraz sourced from a .45ha plot of 1896-planted vines on the Magnolia vineyard in Vine Vale; dry-farmed. Intense, textured and pure of fruit, with deep satsuma plum, black cherry and blackberry fruits alongside hints of spice, raspberry pip, panforte, dark chocolate and earth. There's an awesome fruit presence and flow here. Bassier tones too, with a cascade of powdered granitic tannin, a bright cadence and a sense of clarity to the proceedings as the wine slowly leaves the palate. Wonderful stuff. 96 points.
Dave Brookes
Published 16 August 2024
