Long held in high esteem as one of McLaren Vale’s finest Shiraz plantings, Kay Brothers Block 6 Shiraz continues the tradition of producing full bodied red wines that have the grace and pedigree to age for decades. Handpicked and fermented in the original open top fermenters, Block 6 Shiraz is a wine of great strength, deep complexity and amazing vibrancy.
The 34th vintage of this single vineyard wine coincides with the 125th Anniversary of the gnarled old vines planted by Frederick and Herbert Kay in 1892. The 2017 vintage provided a very healthy crop, seemingly wanting to tell us how enduring these vines are and how unique the Amery vineyard is.
Reviews
"Pleasing symmetry between price and vine age. This 2017 is made from 125 year old vines. 746 dozen is the total production. I’d have Block 6 in my list of the greatest Australian Shiraz. I’ll offer that 2017 was a curious vintage for McLaren Vale reds, they’re a bit different, but high quality all the same.
It’s just above medium bodied, but feels dense and compact in tannin. Blackberry, aniseed, subtle toasty oak, sage and floral perfume. It has what you might call a ‘coolness’ to it, distinct umami flavour also laden with spice. That usual ironstone and crushed rock sort of character you may find in Block 6 is there too. Finish is long, and the tannin brings it home. Wonderful character and vinous integrity. It’s a little different, yet typical."
95+ Points - Gary Walsh, The Wine Front, October 2019, Drink: 2022 - 2038+
In July 1891, Fred & Herbert Kay collected selected Shiraz cuttings from Thomas Hardy's Tintara Vineyard which they began to plant on Block 6 of their McLaren Vale Amery Vineyardon July 18, 1892. The first wine from these vines was made in 1897, the Kay Brothers third vintage. Of the original 12 acres only 4 acres remain today and although the quantity of grapes harvested each year is small the quality is outstanding.
The Block 6 vineyard faces east and rows run north south with significant undulation. The vines are cane pruned with the canes wrapped onto the top wire of the low lying trellis. The present 3.5 acres comprises a corner of red loam, some heavy clay in the middle of the block and gravely alluvial soils on the lower side. The underlying “South Maslin Sands” geology is extremely complex containing layers of glauconite, limestone, sandstone and siltstone.
