2010 Shiraz
Dragon Fly - 2010 Shiraz
Blend:
99% Shiraz, 1% Viognier
Region:
Willow Bridge Estate, Geographe, WA
Bottled:
June 2011
Release Date:
October 2011
Technical Data:
- Alcohol 14.0%vol
- Total Acidity 6.4gm/lt
- pH 3.46
Winemaker:
Simon Burnell and Jane Dunkley
Winemakers Notes:
~ Style ~
Soft, juicy and generous with a twist of spice
~ Background ~
Whilst Shiraz is Australia's most widely planted wine-grape, there is still a lot more of it grown in its homeland in the southeast of France where it is known as Syrah. The classic warm climate Australian styles (Penfold's Grange being the most famous) are dense, almost chewy wines, which taste mostly of dried fruits and chocolate. Cooler climates produce wines that are lighter and full of spice. Somewhere in between the two is where Willow Bridge aims to be - where the wines are both generous and vibrant. We look for loads of fruit - mostly plums and blueberry (but fresh fruits, not dried) and hints of dark chocolate and sweet spices. Each vineyard parcel is treated differently in the winery with a range of techniques employed (Viognier co-fermentation, whole bunch inclusion, pumping over vs hand plunging, extended skin contact etc) based on the characters of the fruit it produces. Maturation in a combination of new (around 15%) and seasoned Burgundy coopered French Oak barrels adds an appealing mocha character to the wine giving it an extra level of plush sophistication.
~Facts and Figures ~
The season: 2010 was yet another excellent season.....A typically wet and windy winter and early spring came to a screeching halt as the vines started to hit their straps in October. The main growing season through to late April was consistently a degree or so warmer and 20% drier than the 30 year average, with less than 100mm of rain falling over those six months. A lack of significant extremes allowed us to avoid any vine-stress and harvest each variety in optimal condition.
Vineyards : The lion's share of the fruit came from the Jarrah and Blinman Shiraz blocks on our Ferguson Valley estate. They were planted in 1998 on classic freedraining WA "Marri soil" (a deep layer of ironstone gravely loam over reddish friable clay) with a gentle north-westerly aspect.
~Tasting Notes ~
Appearance: Mid to deep purple.
Nose:High tone coffee bean oak overlies a dark berry fruit spectrum and a whole range of spices from star anise and nutmeg through to freshly ground pepper.
Palate:Smoky dark chocolate is followed by ripe, dark, plummy sweetness, and some spicy complexity opposite sweet toasted marshmallows. Fine, sweet talcy tannins on the finish.
Cellaring: It has been good to drink from the day it was bottled (particularly with a bit of air), however it will reward the patient until at least 2017 in the cellar.
Food pairing: Beef, mushroom and red wine pie.
