Santa & D'sas Shiraz

The winter of 2013 was warmer than average with good rain events recorded. This meant vineyard soils were at full moisture. Flowering coincided with a period of rainfall and strong cold winds resulting in some fruit set issues, particularly in the most wind exposed blocks – setting up the vintage for lower yields. Spring was cooler than average and the vines enjoyed a good, even growing season. February and March conditions were ideal – warm and dry, perfect for vine health and flavour development.

The Santa & D’Sas approach with the Ampersand Series of wines is to harness the strength and characteristics of each region to create varietal expressive wines. Sourced from the mature Colbinabbin Vineyard planted in 1998 in the Heathcote region outside Colbinabbin, this Shiraz is a elegant expression with freshness, richness and structure. Parcels of Shiraz were chosen for their flavour intensity, expression of vineyard character and supple tannins. Traditional winemaking techniques were used including cold soaking for maximum colour extraction. A 22 day fermentation with regular hand plugging. The wine was matured in fine grained French oak, to support the fruit weight and depth while adding layers of complexity. This Shiraz will age gracefully over the next 6 — 10 years.