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Somewhere near the Seaview end of McLaren Vale's Chapel Hill Road, a perfunctory passerine perched her pincers astride a pair of power poles and saw herself alit. Down she went amongst the dry grown branches of an old Grenache vineyard, setting the valuable veterans ablaze. The scorched site eventually came to the attention of a winemaking trio, the Messrs Leske, Tynan & Cooke, Masters of Wine and a venerable vintner, all driven by a consuming passion to make greater Grenache. Thistledown vintage very small amounts of the most extraordinary Grenache. Beautifully detailed and conspicuously elegant, their floral bouquets and graceful finish emulate the aromatic lift and peacock's tail of a prettily perfumed Pinot Noir. Magnificent to savour as a captivating aperitif, a bliss alongside fine cuisine, the Grenache of Thistledown represent an exquisite new direction in the.. Polly & the pyre to paradise»
David Wynn introduced cardboard wine casks, flagons and the Airlesflo wine tap to the nation. He is best remembered for re packaging the Coonawarra estate which bears his name and which endures as one of Australia's icon brands. Wynn was a master of his craft and studied oenology at the world renowned Magill wineworks. An astute marketer and talented blender, he also had a keen eye for the land, investing in the ancient John Riddoch fruit colony and planting vines on a challenging site, high atop the lofty latitudes of Valley Eden. Mountadam Vineyards were built from the ground up, with a view to crafting a limited range of well structured, weighty wines, defined by fuller palates and saline, mineral savouryness. The legacy of Eden Valley vineyards planted by Wynn in the 1960s & 1970s, incorporating significant old rootstock and extinct European clones, remains a bespoke.. The legacy parcels of mountadam vineyards»

Irvine Springhill Merlot CONFIRM VINTAGE

Merlot Eden Barossa South Australia
For quite some time, Jim Irvine pondered whether it would be practicable to make a splendid Merlot wine available at an entry pricepoint. It came down to the wine industry press to convince Irvine that the timing was right to release a Merlot which showed what the flagship Irvine estate wines were really all about. Springhill is made from grapes which are ripened longer than usual, accentuating depth of flavour, while adding more fruit. All this brings about the excellent, soft but full bodied texture and mouthfeel, advancing an argument for the hegemony of Merlot.
Available by the dozen
Case of 12
$275.00
Springhill Vineyard has its own terroir, acid soils and mostly gravels, where the fruit can ripen late through cooler autumn temperatures. The good natural rainfall, the high level drainage and the tough growing conditions all come together to give this terroir it's unique personality. Around a backbone of Springhill Merlot, Irvine have assembled parcels from the Eden and Barossa Valleys, to create a wine that's generous with velvet opulence and plum cherry richness. A year's maturation in fine French oak, infuses the palate with warm complexity, while mellowing the wine into a seamless expression of Eden Valley Merlot.
Dark red purple colour. Springhill shows distinctive varietal characters on the nose and big flavours to the palate. Pronounced spice, a level of bay leaf, olives and thyme, wrapped around a core of dark red fruit, plums, turkish delights and chocolate tannins, supported by cocoa vanilla oak and unassuming, passive acid. As a rule, Irvine Merlots are released at least a year older than, the extra time in oak really does work wonders.
Irvine
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Irvine
Irvine represents a super-premium wine brand, a gorgeous vineyard in Eden Valley, South Australia, a truly exciting dream and above all, a grand experience in wine

Irvine is a family name and a family business - the name at the front of the years of hard work and dedication put in by all at Springhill in the Eden Valley, Jim and Marjorie Irvine and winemaker daughter Joanne.

Irvine

Never in 1959 did James Irvine ever think he would one day own his own property in the ranges above the Eden Valley of South Australia. At that time he was with Thomas Hardy & Sons and was responsible for the purchase of grapes from the Eden Valley area for the production of the famous Siegersdorf Riesling. The area greatly impressed the young Jim Irvine, and he dreamed of some day being able to plant his own vineyard there.

Right from the start quality in all aspects of viticulture, winemaking and packaging has been the driving force, and the Irvine Merlots are already recognised the world over as being equal to the finest produced anywhere in Australia. Total dedication to the task and a willingness to fully age wines in Irvines' own maturation system together with a serious and determined approach, has resulted in wines of extraordinary style, depth of flavour, and intensity of varietal character seldom seen.

Hans Irvine (a distant relative) established Great Western, Australia's greatest sparkling wine cellars in 1888. His philosophy to provide sparkling wines and table wines of the highest quality and prestige style was proven and now another Irvine carries this philosophy on in a different way. This Irvine approach has not come overnight. Winemaking experience covers nearly forty years, with Hardy's Siegersdorf, Krondorf, Normans and Lakewood, each having sparkling wine and premium table wine production involved in their overall winemaking.

Irvine

The Irvine Winery's Springhill vineyard has its own terroir - its location, climate, the Barossan culture plus the modern Australian winemaker interpretation of classic styles, pristine varietal expression, and rarity, and we have an understanding of just what this means. Springhill is composed of acid soils, gravels mostly, and later ripening fruit resultant from cooler autumn temperatures.

The good natural rainfall, the high level drainage and the tough growing conditions all come together to give this terroir or regionality. With these then comes the Baronssan character of the vineyard staff. Their care, understanding, love of vineyards and high work ethic bonds together the natural elements and truly completes Springhill terroir. The wines reflect this most clearly in Grand Merlot, Pinot Gris, Zinfandel, Chardonnay and, when on their own, the Eden Crest Merlot portions. Long flavours, multiple nuances, slightly tighter finish, longevity also comes from these conditions of terroir.

Environmentally Springhill vineyard is operated on the minimal input system (MIP) where no spraying takes place as a routine program. Insect and disease monitoring picks up any problems and this then is assessed with no action unless absolutely necessary and then only on a minimum basis.

James Irvine has been winemaker, wine stylist, project manager, wine consultant and marketer of wine at senior levels. He feels that this offers more understanding of the consumers' needs and a wider appreciation of the responsibilities that the winemaker must have towards the consumer. As can be seen from his CV he has been involved in industry matters as well.

Irvine