Vintage : 2022
Country : Australlia
Region : Barossa Valley
Bottle Size : 750ml
97 points Decanter Magazine
The Vineyard
The Cutting vineyard has an elevation of 265 meters and sits on a hilltop site in the Stone Well sub-region, with a moderate North Easterly facing slope. The prevailing South Easterly wind provides relief during the extreme heat in January and February. A multitude of soil types adds to the complexity of the grapes produced. The soil is predominantly red sandstone rich in ironstone, pink quartz and schist over a limestone base. Hand pruned, shoot thinned and handpicked. The vineyard was planted in 1998/1999.
The Season
After one of the wettest winters in 25 years, vintage 2022 was off to a great start. However, on October 28th, a severe hailstorm hit, causing a 50% crop loss by tearing off shoots and bunches. The remaining bunches were mostly unharmed. From December to February, we saw no days over 40 degrees, an unusual occurrence in the Barossa region. These cooler months provided ideal conditions for slow ripening and enhanced flavour development in the surviving fruit.
The Winemaking
We handpicked and destemmed the grapes, keeping 10% as whole bunches for added layers of flavour. The juice was cold soaked for 5 days to extract maximum colour and flavours from the skins before fermenting in open-top fermenters. After fermentation, we basket-pressed the wine directly into seasoned French oak hogshead barrels. Once secondary malolactic fermentation finished, we matured the Shiraz in oak for 15 months before bottling, without filtration to retain freshness.
The Food Match:
Pairs well with barbequed meats and hearty tomato or mushroom-based dishes. Try one of our favourite Braised Beef Osso Bucco recipes at https://www.anotherfoodblogger.com/recipes/beef-ossobuco/
Technical Information
Bottling date: August 2023
Bottles Produced: 756
Harvest Date: 5th & 9th March 2022
Alc: 14.3 %
Released: December 2024
Awards: 97 points Decanter July 2024
