Heartland
The grapes are selected from some of the best Shiraz vineyards in the region. These vineyards on classuc sandy loam soils are chosen for the consistent intensity and texture of the fruit. The strictest pruning techniques are used. The fruit for Directors’ Cut Shiraz was harvested at night and then crushed to small open-top stainless steel fermenters. After 24 hours of skin contact fermentation was commenced with our Rhône isolate yeast. Following 11 days of cool fermentation on skins and during which the juice is pumped over three times daily, the wine was transferred to French and American oak hogsheads for 14 months' maturation. In the 2016 vintage we limited ourselves to 80% new oak to ensure the fruit remained the focus and the guiding light of the wine.
Ben Glaetzer reckons 2016 might be the finest vintage he has ever seen from Langhorne Creek. Only time will tell. Harvest was more generous than the previous few years, with above average quantity and quality. Total degree days were up from the last three years, with wonderful ripeness levels recorded leading to amazing fruit intensity. This may supersede the 2012 vintage for overall quality.
This is the most subtle and nuanced incarnation of this stand out wine to date. The delicacy of the 2016 vintage is showcased in this poised wine that still manages to express all the intensity we have come to expect from Directors’ Cut. Look for fresh fruit character to lead the charge and the targeted use of oak to offer perfectly balanced structure.
June, 2019
Halliday Wine Companion
91 points
Everything has come together well starting with the fruit flavours, a mix of blackberry and currants, plus spices and chocolate. Full-bodied, ripe tannins and plenty of oak yet it's rich and rewarding.
Standard Bottle Out of Stock