Winery & Vintage Info
The Shiraz has been planted on the North East facing slope in decomposed granite. This soil is characterised by white granitic pebbles on the surface of a decomposed granite loam mix. At a depth of one meter the underlying clay is critical to the water holding capacity of the block whilst the granitic soils supply that rare, ethereal quality that makes Henry’s Block Shiraz so special. To enhance the cool climate quality of the fruit, vine rows have been planted in an East West orientation. Four Shiraz clones were selected to add complexity and spice and the vines were also planted at 1.2m x 2.4m.
After a frost early in the season which saw some of our Chardonnay shoots get burned, the 2014 Vintage panned out quite well for both our white and red wines. Spring saw average weather conditions followed by a hot, dry spell during late summer. With careful canopy management of the vines and timely watering during a particularly hot period in late January, we kept the vines stress free and in excellent condition. The resulting grapes showed the intensity of flavour that this region is famous for.
The entire block was hand picked in one day and the wine shows the hallmarks of premium cool climate Shiraz. The grapes were gently crushed, allowing a large percentage of whole berries to remain unbroken. 10% whole bunches were also added to the fermenter. The wine was traditionally fermented using the vineyard’s indigenous yeast in open vats. It was gently hand plunged four times per day and it remained on skins for fourteen days. After pressing, the wine was matured for 20 months in French oak and hogsheads and barriques (31% New, 38% one year old and 31% older oak) before being prepared for bottling with minimal filtration.
This wine has classic cool climate pepper and spice, cherry whilst still showing some darker berry aromas. The palate has elegant red berries flavours, spice, richness and an integrated oak finish. The fine chalky tannins add structure to this elegant wine. Winery Notes
