2018 Freycinet Vineyard Shiraz

"I could smell the pepper before I even picked up the glass! It stands to reason, from a site of distinctive pepper in pinot, that shiraz would have pepper in spades! Wondrous layers of blackberries, satsuma plums and black cherries framed in fine, confident tannins and wave after wave of black pepper. Nuances of high-cocoa dark chocolate accent an epic finish."
- 95 points, Tyson Stelzer, Halliday Wine Companion

- Gold – ANZ Boutique Wine Show

Shiraz is the dark horse in the Freycinet stable, an exciting discovery for lovers of cool climate Shiraz and Rhone Valley Syrah. Select warmer sites around Tasmania have the potential to produce excellent medium bodied, spicy, peppery Shiraz that rivals these great old world wines.

Freycinet Shiraz production began in 2013 with the purchase of the neighbouring 6 hectare Coombend Vineyard, which included a tiny 0.2 hectares of mature Shiraz vines, planted in the late 1990s. Although the previous owner blended it into their Cabernet Sauvignon, we saw exciting potential to create a high quality standalone cool climate Shiraz. A further 0.5 Ha was planted in 2014 and another 0.5 Ha planted in 2019, bringing our total Shiraz plantings to 1.2 Ha.

As with all Freycinet wines, meticulous hand work is carried out in the vineyard throughout the season to grow a moderate, balanced crop of fully ripened fruit. The extra warmth of the 2018 season has created additional power and richness, complemented by spice and pepper characteristics and delicious blackberry and plum flavours.

Offering an enticingly complex mixture of blackcurrants, berries, black plums, pepper, woody herbs and subtle meatiness, this wine is further enhanced by fine French oak spice and silk velvet tannins. Its toned structure and taut acid frame have all the hallmarks of a long and illustrious future. While this wine offers considerable drinking pleasure now, it will reward with further complexity developing over 15 - 20 years.

DRINK: Now to 2043