Sandalford Estate Reserve Shiraz 2018 (Australia)

Sandalford Estate Reserve Shiraz 2018 (Australia)French oak Black cherry Vanilla & spice Fleshy tannins Deep, dark cherry red. Black cherry, raspberry, star anise, and hints of exotic spice and black pepper overlay subtle toasted vanilla and chocolate box aromas. The dark berry fruit flavours intertwine with the savoury spice and vanillin oak characteristics. The palate is beautifully structured with ripe, sweet, fleshy tannin supporting the rich and lingering flavours. A wine that will age

• French oak
• Black cherry
• Vanilla & spice
• Fleshy tannins

Deep, dark cherry red. Black cherry, raspberry, star anise, and hints of exotic spice and black pepper overlay subtle toasted vanilla and chocolate box aromas. The dark berry fruit flavours intertwine with the savoury spice and vanillin oak characteristics. The palate is beautifully structured with ripe, sweet, fleshy tannin supporting the rich and lingering flavours. A wine that will age gracefully for at least another 10 to 15 years and beyond if cellared in appropriate conditions.

The 2018 vintage was a return to the fantastic growing conditions that Margaret River is renowned for. The wet winter preceding the growing season provided ample soil moisture for the healthy vines to ripen over the summer months. An extended dry and warm period through to the end of picking in mid-April presented ideal conditions for the ripening of fruit. All fruit this season is of exceptional quality and showing great varietal characteristics. 2018 will be long regarded as one of the great vintages of the decade for Margaret River.

Picked in late March, these Shiraz grapes were crushed before being inoculated with selected yeast strains and fermented in open fermenters. The must was treated by pumping over twice daily to extract flavour, colour and tannin. The ferment was pressed once the perfect balance of colour, flavour and tannin extraction was achieved. After the completion of primary ferment, the wine was inoculated for Malolactic Fermentation (MLF), before being transferred to 100% French oak barriques (30% new, balanced seasoned) for maturation. The wine then spent 14 months in barrel prior to blending and bottling in November 2019.