Shiraz or Syrah has paved its way in Oz as the most planted variety across most, if not all wine regions here in Australia. With styles ranging from medium body Northern Rhône Syrah styles seen as “Old World”, from cooler climates regions with a style of dark berries, floral bouquet often seen as lean and elegant to the high tannin “New World” bold Shiraz black pepper and spice often associated with the fruit concentrate.
As a proud wine nerd, I fell in love with all things Rosé at the beginning of my wine journey. With so many red wine grape options and different winemaking methods, there truly is a Rosé for everyone and a Rosé for every occasion.
Winemaker Ray Costanzo says 2012 is the best vintage he has seen on the Granite Belt. So much so he dedicated a new label to it – Vintage Grand Reserve.
There’s a bit of change going on at Clovely Estate. Former winemaker and CEO Luke Fitzpatrick has moved on and taking his place is Sarah Boyce and Stefano Radici. The change doesn’t stop there with the label and logo getting a little shake up here, and I like it!
You could pass this off as a savoury Grenache. Damn it’s tasty. Durif is often seen as a big and gutsy wine, but that’s not the case here. Dangerously approachable, it’s a far cry from the 15% plus alcohol blockbusters coming from Rutherglen.
Here’s another textural delight from Ray Costanzo. Small white flowers and citrus aromas spill from the glass. There’s a sprinkle of spice with a wash of lemon juice at the death, but that lingering textural thing Ray has perfected with some of his white wines sits pretty well.
In the glass, the aromas from this Shiraz suggest it is a dense wine. Not the case. A lovely expression of cool climate Shiraz is highlighted by dark fruits, chocolate, a vanilla kick and a spice punch on the finish.
distributed under vines, minimal herbicide used and zero pesticides are applied. The vines are dry grown which is unique from most vineyards in the Granite Belt region.
The Hungry Horse story is an interesting one. Let’s just say it involves a bludging relief teacher and a problem solving task set to kill time. We’ve all had those relief teachers, let’s face it.