2016 Shadowfax Minnow Rosé

Shadowfax

Australia / Werribee / Shadowfax

Shadowfax planted at Werribee in 1998, knowing the deep red soils and were perfectly suited to southern French red varieties. A dry season resulted in an average-sized crop, with excellent flavours and perfectly balanced acidity. Our 2016 is a blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan, Syrah, Roussanne and Pinot Noir.
All fruit is hand harvested and immediately whole bunch-pressed. Natural fermentation and spontaneous MLF is in old barriques and hogsheads. The new wines remained on lees for five months before blending and bottling in October 2016.
Pale bronze, light pink hues. The nose shows potpourri, some florals, spice and a touch of licorice root. On the palate, this is a richer, fuller Minnow Rosé, reflecting the warmth of the growing season. Strawberry and blackcurrant flavours, some spice and wild sage, a hint of white pepper. Time on lees has added texture to the palate. A very fine framework of tannin adds crunch and length. Wonderfully bright and supremely drinkable, this is best enjoyed chilled.

April, 2017

Mike Bennie

The Wine Front

92 points

A combo of grenache, mourvedre, syrah, roussanne, cinsault, pinot noir. Matt Harrop, winemaker, throwing convention out the window. I like it. I like this rose.
Salmon pink colour. It’s piping in cherry, pomegranate, cranberry red fruit scents, dash of cinnamon, sniff of white pepper, some Turkish Delight sweetness too. The palate is juicy but holds some crispness too – it’s right in that cranberry juice zone right down to those chalky, lightly chompy tannins you get from that drink. Really refreshing rose, lots of fun and interest.

May, 2017

James Halliday

Halliday Magazine

92 points

A blend of Mourvèdre, Grenache, Syrah, Roussanne, Cinsault and Pinot Noir from Shadowfax’s Werribee Vineyard. Hand-picked, whole bunch-pressed to used hogsheads for wild fermentation and MLF, 7 months on lees. The Cabernet Sauvignon spice and herb bouquet moves through to the palate, joined there by demure red fruits. A logistical feat rewarded by the length of, and interest in, the savoury flavours. Born for food.

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About Shadowfax

Shadowfax has taken tremendous strides in recent times, with the team refining the range and proving their prowess with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Their single-vineyard Chardonnays have taken out Best Chardonnay at the Macedon Ranges Wine Exhibition no fewer than five times. Especially noteworthy have been the Little Hampton Vineyard in Macedon's high-altitude plantings of Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, in the chilliest region of Australia’s mainland. These are the vibrant future of Australia’s cool-climate wine scene. The counterpoint to this is the dynamic Minnow project, based around the Werribee vineyard’s southern French varieties. The name is both a reflection of the grapes’ underdog status and a clever play on “Minervois”, a southern French appellation where these kinds of blends are common. It's the source of bright, spicy, textured rosé and reds, with the micro-make Mondeuse immediately becoming a delicious cult hit. With long-serving vineyard manager and assistant winemaker Alister Timms taking the helm in October 2017, these are hugely exciting times for Shadowfax.

About

Shortly after completing this second degree, Alister started working at Shadowfax as Assistant Winemaker, a position he held for three years before moving back home to run his family’s winery, Kilgour Estate. In 2008, Alister returned to Shadowfax to manage the winery’s various vineyards and establish the Little Hampton property in the Macedon Ranges, whilst working as Assistant Winemaker to Matt Harrop. When Matt decided to leave Shadowfax in October 2017, after almost 20 years as winemaker, Alister was the obvious choice as his replacement. “I look forward to building on the foundation that we’ve created over the years and seeing our vineyards reach their full potential, and to follow that through in the winery.”