Past Vintages

Technical Details

 NEW RELEASE for the McLaren Vale Scarce Earth initiative 2013.

Each bottle is numbered & superbly gift boxed. Exclusively available from our McLaren Vale cellar door from May 1st.

"..has a very dark colour that prepares you for its concentrated, ripe fruit. I found sweet blackberry aromas and a rich, finely balanced palate with good length. Forrestal liked "the floral aroma and fresh, lively, silky-smooth texture. Rich redcurrant and blackberry flavours inn a firm structure." The wine has the depth and balance to develop beautifully."

Nick Bullied MW, Gourmet Traveller Wine, 25 Shiraz Superstars, June July 2014

"Deep red/purple colour. Unusual raspberry and strawberry aroma, almost a hint of bubblegum. This is different. It's also soft and rounded on the palate, smooth and harmonious, balanced and elegant with fine-grained tannins, and no bitterness or astringency. It has a lovely, seamless, effortless balance that it sustains right through the long aftertaste. A very different and very worthy style of McLaren Vale Shiraz. Beautiful. I could drink a few glasses of this right now. Scarce Earth bottling. 95 pts."

Huon Hooke, huonhooke.com, August 27th 2013

"Whilst the use of heavy bottles is frowned upon by many, this epic wine is housed in one, that being stated the contents reveal a deeply complex and powerful bouquet, with heady aromas of blackberry, spiced plum, mocha and fresh earth; the palate is powerfully proportioned, yet maintains freshness and focus. 94 pts."

Reprinted with permission from the 2014 James Halliday Australian Wine Companion

“McLaren Vale Scarce Earth” is a regional initiative, launched in 2011 with wines from the 2009 vintage, involving the release of selected single block McLaren Vale Shiraz which highlight the distinctive sites of the region. After facing 3 separate tasting panels, 24 wines from 18 wineries make up the 2011 selection - the grapes come from a single block, rather than single vineyard, the vines must be at least 10 years old & the winemaking style is one of minimal intervention to highlight the site expression.

Geology Note, Block K, Davey Estate
Block K Shiraz, adjacent to the historic 1860’s barn on the Davey Estate, has for years provided a valuable and unique component of the Shingleback reserve wines. The block sits astride the boundary of two geologies; the southern third on the alluvial fan clay, sand and gravel (Christies Beach Formation) that is washed from the Willunga escarpment, and the northern two thirds on grey and red calcrete mottled alluvial clay (Ngaltinga Formation). The soil transitions from red clay at the south to grey, self mulching clay in the north of the block. These unusually well drained, heavy clays produce full bodied, textured, and richly flavoured Shiraz. From this superior block a small section is selected for subtle (“unedited”) crafting and maturation that pays homage to the fruit and the soil from which it comes.

Tasting note:
Black cherry red. Fragrant primary aromas of blackberry and mulberry are highlighted with notes of rose hip, pepper and an earthy minerality. The rich, dark berry mid-palate is tightly contained with fine tannins and acidity, leading into a long finish, embellished with hints of milk chocolate and licorice. This terroir-focused wine has balance and poise on release but will reward careful cellaring.

Accolades:

• Gold medal - 2013 Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, Belgium
• Gold medal - 2013 National Wine Show of Australia, class 32
• Gold medal - 2013 Royal Queensland Wine Show, class 86
• Gold medal - 2013 NZ International Wine Show, class 18a
• Gold medal - 2013 China Wine & Spirit Awards
• Gold medal - 2013 Berlin Wine Trophy, July edition, Germany
• Gold medal - 2013 International Wine Challenge, Vienna
• Silver Outstanding - 2013 International Wine & Spirit Competition, UK
• Silver medal - 2014 Visy Great Australian Shiraz Challenge
• Silver medal - 2013 International Wine Challenge, UK
• Silver medal - 2013 McLaren Vale Wine Show, class 10
• 94 pts - 2014 James Halliday Australian Wine Companion

NB: The very limited quantity of the wine precludes its entry into many competitions, however, we do enter those where eligible.