"Showing off all the charm and exuberance of the variety from this region. Floral, smoky, peppery, lots of deep, dark fruit and spices, inky, too. Full bodied yet such vibrancy of acidity and plush, detailed tannins. A fabulous drink now and it will give more in time. 95 points."
Jane Faulkner
Published 06 July 2023
This project now goes back two decades, to 2001. The seasonal stamp is always there, these are not formulaic wines scrubbed and rubbed into an overriding house style, for the harvest date and winemaking is focused in ensuring a balanced wine that shows the markings of the year. (As James Halliday says, a Pinot Noir winemaker’s Shiraz!). The 2021 is a delicious and harmonious continuation of the style showing complex dark fruits, earth, spice and graphite. The palate is initially supple and fleshy then builds intensity for a long and balanced finish. It will become more complex and textured over the next six years.
Pyrette Heathcote Shiraz is sourced from an impeccably sited and managed vineyard near Colbinabbin on the Mount Camel Range. The specific parcel of vines this fruit comes from is at the highest block on deep red, rocky Cambrian soils on a cooler easterly facing slope. The picking date is carefully assessed in order to capture fruit vibrancy and freshness whilst capturing the typical mouthfilling richness and length of the region.
The wine is made in 1000 litre open vats, fermented with ambient yeast and matured in French barrels, 10% new. The yield, harvest date and winemaking are deliberately aimed at producing a wine of regional authenticity in a style highlighting fragrance, vitality, finesse and harmony.
Production is typically 800 dozen per vintage.
