Despite having two MW’s on the team plus a highly regarded Australian winemaker, their early steps into selecting vineyards, buying grapes, choosing oak, deciding how to make the wine all felt like they were chancing their arm a little. They had to learn fast but perhaps the first lesson they learned was that however experienced, however serene they looked on the outside, all winemakers face a different set of problems every harvest and all winemakers need a Cunning Plan. Many years on, this wine reminds us that however much we have learned, there is always more to learn. Unashamedly Australian, this contemporary McLaren Vale Shiraz draws on incredible fruit grown at low yields (2.5t per acre) coupled with the Thistledown approach of picking on the way up rather than the way down. This results in fruit arriving in the winery in great condition, full of flavor and energy. Fermented using whole berries rather than crushed fruit, there is a focus on the vibrant cassis and wild cherry aromas which are enhanced by the wild fermentation. 10 months in 300l French oak adds spicy complexity but never dominates. The texture is lush, yet lithe and beautifully balanced.

Great depth of ripe plum, blueberry and blackberry fruit flavors. As usual for this region, a distinctive trace of bitter chocolate weaves its way through the fruit core. A full bodied wine with a succulent palate, lively spices and fine velvety tannins.