No questions here: this is a wine of outstanding quality. Campbell Mattinson on the ’17 Chardonnay
Really elegant and long. Nick Stock on the same
Quite impeccable from all angles. Campbell Mattinson on the ’17 Pinot
The palate unleashes energetic, tangy flavours of red cherries with a thread of meaty, spicy oak. Nick Stock on the same
It has a superbly fragrant perfume, multi-faceted and lifted, with charm and refinement. Huon Hooke on the 2017 Little Hampton
An impressive, elegant and interesting Pinot. Nick Stock on the same
We were immediately smitten with Little Hampton when we tried the first single-vineyard Pinot in 2015. That was thanks in part to the infectious, barely contained enthusiasm of Shadowfax’s then vineyard manager – now winemaker- Alister Timms. The long, cool 2017 growing season marks the third single-site offering from this super-cool spot 720m up in the Macedon Ranges, and Al has pulled out a pearler – crystal clear evidence that his faith in the site was more than justified. The Royal Sydney Wine Show judges clearly agreed, landing this with top gold from a star-studded field.
Accompanying this is Shadowfax’s regional Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, which knit together fruit from the various vineyards that Shadowfax either owns or manages amid the Macedon Ranges. They come together in harmonious, layered and delectable wines with striking class and regional signature writ large.
2017 Shadowfax Macedon Ranges Chardonnay RRP $35
The fruit comes from the Midhill, Mt Macedon, Spring Hill & Little Hampton vineyards. This was a long, cool growing season in the Macedon Ranges. A settled flowering led to good crop levels. Careful canopy management and crop thinning were required. A late summer with warm days and cool nights allowed fruit to reach is full flavour ripeness, while retaining good acid structure. The cool nights during March and April helped retain natural acidity and allow full flavour
Hand harvested fruit was firmly whole bunch-pressed to impart some skin contact and release the full flavour profile with phenolic texture. Natural ferment occurred in new (24%) and older French barrels. The wine was left to unwind and age slowly on its fermentation lees to add generosity. Every barrel was treated as is own entity, with some allowed to go through natural malolactic fermentation to add further depth. After 11 months the wine was racked and filtered prior to bottling in February 2018.
Chardonnay from the Midhill Vineyard in the beautiful Macedon Ranges. All fermented wild. Ripper chardonnay. Powerful, textural and long. Essence of the variety. Stonefruit, meal, flint and spice, toasty/cedary oak as added emphasis. No questions here: this is a wine of outstanding quality. 95 points. Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front August 2018
A restrained citrusy chardonnay with flinty reductive styling here. Impressive complexity delivered with restraint. The palate has bright acid spark and a smooth sleeve of lime and white-peach flavours. Really elegant and long. Drink now. 94 points. Nick Stock jamessuckling.com August 2018
2017 Shadowfax Macedon Ranges Pinot Noir RRP $37
The fruit comes from the Little Hampton, Midhill, Mt Macedon and Big Shed vineyards and a long, cool growing season that produced nuanced flavours with ripe, fine tannins. Hand harvested fruit was carefully sorted and destemmed with 100% whole berries into small open fermenters. Natural fermentation occurred with daily hand plunging to extract fine tannins and flavour. After two weeks on skins the wine was pressed then racked into new (28%) and used French hogsheads, where it rested and grew. The wine was then blended and filtered prior to bottling in February 2018.
This is savoury, well-fruited, has a sense of power and yet remains varietal and lively throughout. Forest berries, twiggy spices, a suggestion of mint. I wouldn’t exactly call it velvety in texture but it’s on the way there; it certainly has good mouthfeel. Quite impeccable from all angles. 93 points. Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front May 2018
Some handy restraint of fruit on the nose. Subtly spicy, earthy and predominantly floral aromas here. The palate unleashes energetic, tangy flavours of red cherries with a thread of meaty, spicy oak. Tannins and acid intertwine to tighten the finish neatly. Drink or hold. 93 points. Nick Stock, jamessuckling.com August 2018
2017 Shadowfax Little Hampton Pinot Noir RRP $62
Gold Medal, Royal Sydney Wine Show
This vineyard at Little Hampton near Trentham sits at 720m above sea level, and is one of the coolest in the Macedon Ranges. It was a long cool growing season in the Macedon Ranges. A settled flowering led to good crop levels. Careful canopy management and crop thinning were required. A late summer with warm days and cool nights allowed fruit to reach is full flavour ripeness, with fine tannins. Hand harvested fruit was carefully sorted and destemmed with 100% whole berries into small open fermenters. Natural fermentation occurred with daily hand plunging to extract fine tannins and flavour. After two weeks on skins the wine was pressed then racked into new (30%) and used French hogsheads. The wine was then blended and filtered prior to bottling in February 2018. pH 3.64; TA 5.3g/L; alcohol 13.5%.
A single-vineyard bottling. This has a pretty array of wild red fruits and flowers on the nose, making it a delicate and alluring pinot. The palate has a smooth fan of fine tannins that builds power, pace and focus as it goes. An impressive, elegant and interesting pinot. Drink or hold. 95 points. Nick Stock, jamessuckling.com August 2018
Light to medium red colour with purple tints. It has a superbly fragrant perfume, multi-faceted and lifted, with charm and refinement, the finish long and satisfying with light, gentle, fine-grained tannins. 93 points. Huon Hooke, The Real Review May 2018