Take It To The Grave Barossa Shiraz 2023 (Australia)

Description

Chocolate, Oak, Plum

"Pristine and instantly appealing, the wine shows black/blueberry, anise, roasted nut and subtle cocoa aromas, followed by a generously expressed palate displaying ripe fruit intensity with supple mouthfeel and fine-grained tannins, leading to a lengthy silky finish. At its best: now to 2028" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Nov 2023

In the glass it’s coloured purple with a dense and dark body. A full-bodied and very aromatic Shiraz showing purple berry fruits, dark chocolate and integrated spices. The palate shows good weight and evenness whilst the fine tannins and integrated acidity drive persistence on the long finish.

Take it to the Grave is a joint venture between Nicholas Crampton and South Australian winemaker Corey Ryan created to deliver interesting and rewarding wines whilst challenging a few established rules and preconceptions. The Take it to the Grave Shiraz takes on the mysteries and individual personalities of old-vine vineyards.

Spring was cooler than usual and with more rain events bringing soil moisture levels up. Summer likewise was cool yet with enough sunny days to enable beautiful albeit slower ripening. This made for a later vintage than prior years, but the resultant fruit quality is very, very good.

The fruit is partially hand-harvested before de-stemming and cool fermentation in small two tonne open fermenters with regular hand plunging. Matured in seasoned French oak (20% new French) for six months before bottling with minimal filtration and Sulphur addition.

Food Pairing: Perfect with roast lamb and a rich, creamy potato gratin.