Description
‘Pete and his partner Magali Gely operate what I think is the best new-wave of small-scale Barossa wine companies to emerge at the beginning of the 21st century… These weren’t big, blockbuster, showy wines designed to impress. They were wines that managed to take the best of the Barossa’s sometimes forgotten varietal traditions and fuse them onto a very European flavour sensibility.’ Max Allen, The future makers.
‘It seems that Spinifex wines can do no wrong.’ Campbell Mattinson, The Wine Front.
Peter Schell and his French born wife Magali Gely started Spinifex back in 2001 – in a short time they have made a name for themselves as producers of fine elegant and sophisticated Barossa red blends. Peter hails from NZ originally but he and Magali are firm Barossaphiles with a great love of the ancient Barossa soils (100 million years old whereas in Bordeaux the soils date back to the last iceage 40,000-100,000 years) and the old vines. Inspired by time spent working many vintages in the south of France their love is the local varieties there – Mataro, Grenache, Shiraz and Cinsault. What sets them apart is their attention to detail and total hands on winemaking.
They are not interested in making blockbuster wines – they seek finesse and complexity (aromatics, line and length) in their wines…Sourcing small parcels of fruit from small family growers and their use of multiple small fermentation tanks allows them to ferment small parcels separately rather than pooling them – a very French technique – which means more ingredients to play with and absolute precision for blending.
This limited release is sourced from an ancient Shiraz vineyard located on the outskirts of Nuriootpa. Planted sometime between 1910 and 1920 and growing in deep sandy loam over clay, this vineyard has long been held to produce archetypal, powerful Barossa Shiraz. In his efforts to tame the beast, Pete Schell picked relatively early and fermented 30% as whole bunches. This has tempered this parcel’s old vine power with fine savoury cut, whilst still allowing the vineyard to express itself. It may not be your typical Spinifex fare, but it’s none the less outstanding. Packed with layered, plummy, mint-choc fruit, it’s beginning to develop a savoury undertow of roasted meats, earthy spice and leathery hints. Old school, sticky tannins completes the picture. It is a big wine from a producer more known for lift and finesse, but it’s nonetheless a beautiful Shiraz full of soul. Tech notes: All fruit was hand harvested and cooled overnight. Around 30% of bunches were retained; fermentation took place in small open stainless steel and wooden fermenters, with indigenous yeasts. Post ferment maceration lasted 14 days. The wine was raised on light lees in a selection of thick staved 600 litre demi muids, and some barriques (30% new) for 20 months; unfined, and bottled without filtration.
96 points, Halliday Wine Companion 2018 “There’s no information about the identity of the single vineyard, nor, more importantly, how old is old. However, the utterly remarkable crimson-purple colour of a 4 year old shiraz, and the sheer intensity of the flavour, do speak of great vine age. I also suspect this wine spent much time in oak, with a significant percentage new, French its likely provenance.”
RRP $88 **SPECIAL 6 PACK BUY … Only $68.99 when you buy 6 of this wine**
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