The Kay Brothers Amery Block 6 Shiraz 2021 vintage is a deep ruby, purple hue. perfumed notes of potpourri, dark fruits, charcuterie and a hint of cedar. Layers of concentrated dark cherries, cacao and black olive, followed by slowly building, fine-textured, chalky tannins of immense length. Rich and concentrated with power and finesse.
"This release represents a profound change at this address from a culture of rich wines hewn of old vines and traditional winemaking, at least in an Australian sense, to one of earlier harvesting and a grasp for freshness. Sure, the ancient vines remain. Yet despite the palpable intensity and drive, there is a twiggy dryness, a paucity of amplitude and a generosity that is synergistic with an early harvest window. Olive and dark fruits, sure. Time may bestow further beauty. I score with the benefit of the doubt in mind." 95 Points - Ned Goodwin, Halliday's Wine Companion, 6th July 2023
Kay Brothers' flagship wine, handpicked from Shiraz vines planted in 1892. Long held in high esteem as one of McLaren Vale’s finest Shiraz plantings, Block 6 Shiraz continues the tradition at Kay Brothers 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.
Block 6 vineyard faces East and rows run North South with significant undulation. Vines are spur and cane pruned with the canes wrapped onto the top wire of the low-lying trellis. The present 1.5 hectares comprises a corner of red loam, some heavy clay in the middle of the block and gravelly alluvial soils on the lower side. The underlying “South Maslin Sands” geology is extremely complex, containing layers of glauconite, limestone, sandstone and siltstone.
