• Delivery
Wine clubWine clubWine clubWine club
  • Gift registry
  • Wishlist
  • FAQs
William James Maxwell was an architectural sculptor who migrated from Scotland to Australia in 1875. He built a mock castle and established a family vineyard just outside Adelaide, which he named Woodlands Park. His son planted vines in nearby McLaren Vale and his grandson served a term as winemaker for Hardy Wines at the historic Tintara wineworks. William Maxwell's progeny remain in McLaren Vale, producing the southern hemisphere's most successful brands of Honey Mead, as well as vintages of the most extraordinary value in McLaren Vale Shiraz. But what does Maxwell taste like? Gentleman James Halliday describes Maxwell as robust, picking the eyes out of McLaren Vale shiraz; licorice, dark chocolate, savoury firm, ripe tannins, blackberry, positive oak the icing on the cake. Terrific value. Oh yes, he suggests that it should be enjoyed by.. Made of mature vine mclaren vale »

Brands Laira Two Row Merlot 2009 CONFIRM 2009 VINTAGE

Brands Laira Two Row Merlot 2009 - Buy
Merlot Coonawarra South Australia
McWilliam's are one of the largest landholders in Coonawarra, with more than three hundred hectares of the choicest properties under vine, including the exhalted Laira Vineyard, established by Captain Stentiford in 1893 atop the Coonawarra's splendid Terra rossa heartland. Eric Brand, one of the earliest patrons of the Coonawarra, became the custodian of the vineyard more than half a century later. Expressing all the distinctive regional highlights of Coonawarra, Brand's Laira is a Merlot of exceptional quality, softness and approachability.
Following harvest and the crush, juices are vinified over a period of several days on their skins in headed down, steel fermenters, pumped over twice daily to ensure maximum extraction of colour and flavour. Once pressed off skins while still slightly sweet (approximately 2 baume), the wine was pumped to a selection of new and seasoned French and American oak barrels to finish primary and malolactic fermentation. Upon completion, the wine was racked off its lees and pumped back into refreshed barrels for maturation. During the first six months of ageing, barrels are racked by hand to achieve the required clarity and to assist in the wine's development.
Dark crimson red. A deeply perfumed nose displaying blackcurrant and plum, complemented by vanilla and cedar aromas derived from oak maturation. The rich, rounded palate showcases vibrant plum and dark berry fruits. Elegant mocha, vanilla and dusty oak characters complement the fruit on the palate. Great length with good varietal character and rich, ripe flavour concentration, the finish is long with fine, silky tannins adding length. A luscious drink now proposition that will also improve from cellaring.
Brands Laira
1 - 5 of 5
1
1 - 5 of 5
1
Brands Laira
The Laira Vineyard was established in 1893 on the Coonawarra’s famous terra rossa heartland

Brands Laira is today widely regarded as one of the region’s best plantings of Shiraz. With Shiraz being the only wine grape planted in Coonawarra from 1900 to 1950, the variety has played an important role in establishing Coonawarra’s international reputation as Australia’s pre-eminent red wine region.

Brands Laira

Eric and Nancy Brand purchased the Laira Vineyard and adjoining property in 1946; and over the next decade extended the vineyard to 23 hectares of vines. The first wine sold under the Laira label was released in 1966. Fruit from this century-old Original Vineyard is still used today in the production of the Brand’s of Coonawarra Stentiford’s Reserve and Patron’s Reserve.

McWilliam’s Wines purchased a 50 per cent share of the Brand’s Estate in 1990 and the remaining 50 per cent in 1994, with Eric and Nancy’s sons Jim and Bill Brand retained as winemakers. McWilliam’s Wines is today one of the largest landholders in Coonawarra, with almost 300 hectares of mainly cabernet sauvignon and shiraz vines. In recent years the company has extended the Estate to include the 165 hectare Station Block and 100 hectare Kirkgate vineyards.

Brands Laira

Brands Laira