This is my first release 'tsw' Shiraz. It's my 'Reserve' Shiraz, and I've selected fruit from my two favorite Shiraz regions in Australia, the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, equal parts of each. Aged in New French Oak for 2 years. Matured on it's yeast lees ,with no racking, fining or filtration before bottling.

The 2009 Adelaide Hills Viognier is now available for purchase. I'm really happy with the way the wine is evolving. This year, the wine is from a single vineyard in the small Adelaide Hills town of Gumeracha. While I make no claim to it being organically produced, the facts are that the vineyard is operated on organic principles. The wine is made using a combination of yeasts, including some 'wild' or indigenous yeasts, and part of the wine is fermented in 1 year old French oak barrels. The wine has great texture, and is not overblown with the 'apricots on steroids' character I detest in some Australian Viogniers.I hope you enjoy the result of this years work in getting the wine into more of a 'house style'..

Unlike most ‘GSM’ style wines this wine is predominantly made from Mataro (or, Mourvedre), with lesser percentages of Grenache and Shiraz. I’ve always been a big fan of the Mataro grape, and the wines of Bandol in the South of France, so I’ve unashamedly modelled this wine on that regions wines, with a ‘New World’ slant..The new release 2009 MGS is a blend of Mataro (55%), Grenache (39%) and Shiraz (6%).
Upon opening, the wine has brooding dark blueberry fruit characters, with background cedar oak notes. The palate is dense and lush, with a long firm finish. With some breathing, the wine morphs into showing more opulent fruit characters, and the oak becomes less obvious. The tannins also seem to soften, making in my opinion, a more complete wine.

How will it age? I will watch with interest, but I'm confident the wine will develop more savoury notes, rewarding those that can cellar under good conditions...