Marc Scalzo takes time out from his duties as chief winemaker at Rutherglen Estates to tend his closely coddled Beechworth vines. The two regions share a predisposition to yield structured Shiraz of remarkable purity and finesse, wines that are highly articulate of their very special terroir. The mineral rich hills of Beechworth impart added elegance and a conspicuous measure of Burgundian savoir faire. There are precious few plantings on Harry's Block but they yield the most invaluable fruit, immaculately crafted into the first growth of Beechworth Shiraz.
Shiraz is hand picked over the course of a single day, grapes are sorted and gently crushed, a large part of the fruit remains uncrushed, a further component is included as whole bunches. Parcels are treated to a traditional open vat fermentation through the action of wild, indigenous vineyard yeasts over the course of a fortnight, gently hand plunged four times daily for optimal extraction of flavour and tannin. Upon completion, batches are pressed and filled to an extravagantly high selection of new French oak barriques for twenty months maturation and bottling after minimal filtration.
Dark scarlet red. A fragrant bouquet of fresh milled pepper and cool climate spice, dark cherries and blueberry notes, minaret of anise and the mineral richness of a splendid terroir. A palate brimming with complex red berries, brambles, cocoa and baking spice over a framework of chalky velvet tannins and seamless, inseparable oak. A refined, lengthy, elegant finish.
