The 2005 Greenstone Shiraz combines the elegance of mid-Victorian Shiraz with the depth and weight that characterise wines from Heathcote. The elegance derives from the vineyard and the way in which we manage it. The east-west orientation of the rows helps to retain elegant perfumes, while picking when the grapes are ripe, but before they shrivel, gives power and balance.

This style is accentuated in the winery. When the grapes arrive at the winery, they undergo a natural cold soak as fermentation is slow to start due to the use of natural yeasts. Maceration lasts for about 2 weeks in open top fermenters. The cap is punched down manually in order to extract the colour, tannin and flavour that reside in the skins. After fermentation, the wine is aged for a year in French barriques, only 20 % of which are new.

Open top fermentation ensures that we keep alcohol in balance (up to 1% is dissipated by open tops), resulting in a wine of 13.5% alcohol. The long maceration on skins ensures a complex tannin structure that in turn supports the flavour accumulated during the gradual ripening of the grapes. The low level of new oak allows the flavours of the Shiraz to shine through in the glass.

The wine has a deep, youthful purple colour that gives way to a ripe, brambly, spicy fruit on the nose. On the palate, the rich, dark plum fruit is nicely framed by supple, grainy tannins and a lifted acidity on the finish. It is long, elegant and balanced. ^top