Shiraz 2021

The earliest planting in 1974 were Shiraz vines and the characterful and unique expression of this variety has been integral to the development of Bannockburn Vineyards. The long and slow ripening period for Shiraz gives us complex and savoury characters in the cool climate spectrum.

Viticulture
Winemaking
Tasting Note

Bannockburn Shiraz is made from a blend of estate fruit grown on our established vineyards; the oldest vines planted in 1974 through to the more recent 2007 planting. This release includes fruit grown across Range (1974), Winery Block (1990, 1996) & De La Roche (2007) vineyards. The clonal mix includes PT23, R6WV28 and ‘Best’s Old Block’ with various vine spacings and planting densities.

Handpicked parcels of fruit were wild fermented separately with approximately 10% whole bunch overall including a portion of carbonic maceration. After pressing the wine was racked to a combination of hogsheads and puncheons of which 10% was new oak. The wine was left undisturbed for 10 months, then racked to 1200l old oak vats for another 6 months maturation prior to blending and bottling.

A cool 2021 season in our region has offered up a fragrant expression of medium bodied cool climate Shiraz. Red fruits, olives, black pepper and spice aromatics. A fine structure and tannin profile, and a cleansing finish of good persistence.

Print Spec Sheet

2023 Vintage

The 2023 growing season started off cold and wet. For the first time since 2011 our dam was full, and in fact overflowed for most of October and November (rainfall for the calendar year of 2022 was 800mm). Budburst was slightly behind average timing, but crops were down significantly: the bunch counts were low in the first place, we had a mild frost in September and the wet weather finally caught up with us via downy mildew. The rain stopped at the end of December.

The overall heat accumulation was the same (1338 Growing Degree Days) as 2021, both seasons on the slightly cooler side of average but differing in that the heat for 2023 was more toward the second half of the season. Veraison occurred in February and then we picked Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Gamay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling in March, and Shiraz and Cabernet/Merlot in the first week of April. The picking weather was pleasant and the fruit arrived at the winery in very good condition.

While quantity was down (especially in Pinot Noir) quality was good: fresh acidity, concentration, colour, tannin and steady fermentations have us looking forward to bottling, and seemingly warmer and drier seasons as El Niño returns.

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