Winery & Vintage Info
With every vintage St Hallett's winemaking team learn more about the influence of the site on the flavour and quality of the wines.
Stuart Blackwell has been a St Hallett winemaker since 1972 and has been fundamental to its success. This classic and rich Barossa Valley Shiraz pays tribute to his foresight, talent and commitment.
The 2017 vintage commenced about four weeks later than the previous five, and was coined by many as the ‘old normal’, with the first Shiraz ready on 4th March. Mild temperatures through February provided a steady ramp-up in crushing.
Shiraz has delivered an exciting array of styles from vibrant flavoursome wines through to rich and complex styles with great texture and cellaring potential. The 2017 vintage was preceded by a favourable season in the Barossa that allowed all vineyards to produce both strong yields and high quality, and has delivered some absolute standout wines from pedigree vineyards.
Blackwell Shiraz is sourced from vineyards planted in the parishes of Ebenezer, Greenock and Moppa Hills. These parishes are in the north west of the Barossa Valley at elevations between 250m and 310m above sea level.
The St Hallett winemaking philosophy is about focusing on the fruit and it’s provenance. Simply minimal intervention and maximum attention. We tailor our winemaking to the individual parcel using the years of accumulated knowledge we have of these vineyards and their individual characters. The pump over regime and temperature of the ferment varies across the blocks and can also change with the vintage conditions. Times on skins is typically in the range of 8-12 days and ferment temperatures range from 20-30 degrees Celsius. Once the wine achieves balance on tasting, it is pressed off skins and goes directly to barrel where it will age for 12-18 months. We match barrels from a number of cooperages and ages to each parcel. We are looking for balance and flavour integration in the wines before we blend them together to create the Blackwell Barossa Shiraz style. Winery Notes
