Wirra Wirra Scrubby Rise McLaren Vale Shiraz 2023 (Australia)

Description

Blackberry, Hazelnut, Oak

Deep ruby with earthy tones. Bright red fruits with plum , coffee and a hint of vanilla and integrated oak. Bright red and dark berries with fresh plum fill the palate. A secondary layer of vanilla, coffee and oak weave in-between the fruit. The plush tannins finish the wine nicely. Drink from release and over the next five years.

The Scrubby Rise vineyards at Wirra Wirra sit on ancient rocks more than 100,000 years old. The fact that they are totally flat and contain no “scrub” or bush whatsoever was of more interest to the late Greg Trott, who gave them their dubious name. As one might call a redhead “Bluey” or a tall man “Shorty”, Trott drew on traditional Aussie humour to make the point that we shouldn’t take life too seriously. Be dedicated to your task he said, but everything else should be fun. That’s a philosophy we aspire to at Wirra Wirra, as we raise a glass of this classic McLaren Vale shiraz.

Fruit was gently crushed and destemmed en route to fermenter. Early temperatures were maintained at 20-22ºC, rising to 25-28ºC at peak of ferment. In general, ferments were pumped over two to four times daily to assist flavour and colour extraction, as well as spreading heat through the cap and body of the ferment. Nearing completion and having achieved the desired flavour and tannin extraction, pump-overs were reduced to once or twice daily to keep the cap moist. Close to dryness, wine was drained from the fermenter and the remaining skins were pressed via tank or basket press. Wines completed their secondary malolactic fermentation in tank with around nine months of tailored oak maturation before blending.

Food Pairing: Ragu of mushroom and red wine, or a traditional eggplant mousakka.