Grant Burge Icon Meshach Barossa Shiraz 2016 (Australia)

Description

Blackberry, Chocolate, Oak

"Comfortably in the top three Meshachs ever made. A reflection of one of the great Barossa vintages" Craig Stansborough, Chief Winemaker

Intensely rich, deep, dark violet. Dense, powerful and delightfully elegant with dominating aromatics of cinnamon, clove, dark chocolate, black pepper and mulberry. The small amount of whole bunch fermentation provides a hint of spice that sits on top of the wine like a garnish. The concentration and power are beautifully balanced with layers of blackberry, coffee bean and dark chocolate. The wine has serious grunt, while having a lovely drive of acidity that will support the wine as it ages long in to the future. It has all the hallmarks of a classic, rich Barossa shiraz with undeniable vibrancy and freshness. An outstanding wine from an outstanding vintage.

Sourced from multiple old-vine vineyards of the southern Barossa Valley. A cool winter with lower than average rainfall continued into spring and was followed by warmer than average temperatures through November, December and January. There was early flavour development which continued through until the end of harvest. 2016 was an exceptional year for reds in Barossa.

A small amount of whole bunch added structure and aromatic complexity. The wine was fermented in a combination of stainless-steel statics and traditional concrete open fermenters with header boards. Temperatures were allowed to reach 28°C. Minimal pump overs were performed on the concrete open fermenters. Pump overs on the stainless-steel fermenters were performed four times-a-day and these were reduced toward the end of fermentation. Gentle pressing was performed by a combination of basket and bag press.

Matured for eighteen months in French hogsheads. 18% in new and the balance in one to five year-old.