Black Barrel Langhorne Creek Shiraz 2020 (Australia)

Description

• American oak
• Dark berries
• Cedarwood spice
• Supple mouthfeel

"It's splendidly ripe and inviting on the nose with blackberry, vanilla, olive and cedar characters, followed by a generously weighted palate offering ripe fruit intensity together with silky mouthfeel, making it instantly appealing and delectably drinkable. At its best: now to 2028" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jun 2021

Deep red colour with aromatic notes of dark berries and blackcurrants framed by captivating cedarwood spice. The palate is dense and plush with a swathe of mixed berries and spice complemented by a supple, slippery mouthfeel. Subtle oak imparts a fine toast on the finish. A great tasting South Australian wine packed full of flavour that is ready to drink now or will cellar for up to 5 years

Black Barrel is Nicholas Crampton and Jim Zerella’s take on proudly traditional, full bodied wines with barrel aged complexity using the classic combination of old-vine vineyards, traditional open fermenters and partial maturation in high toast “black barrels”. Sourced from established, low-yielding and dry-grown vineyards in Langhorne Creek vineyards managed by Jim Zerella.

2020 had its challenges with a dry start and only a small portion of rain and with much of the country suffering drought conditions. The warm dry spell continued in December with some extreme hot temperature days recorded. It was a late ripening year and yields were down but despite the challenges it was another excellent vintage across South Australia.

The fruit is hand-harvested and vineyard sorted before de-stemming and a traditional vinification in small two and three tonne open fermenters with regular hand plunging before partial maturation in three hundred litre, high toast American oak “black barrels” for six months.