Description
We have very limited quantities available
Wendouree Shiraz 1998 @$195
Wendouree Shiraz 2003 @$110
Wendouree Shiraz 2006 @$175
Wendouree Shiraz 2008 @$185
Email your wish list to rhys@thevinepress.com or call 02 9908 4994
Some interesting commentary by Andrew Caillard MW
“The spectacularly individual Wendouree Shiraz has remained true to its origins since Alfred Percy Birks planted the vineyard in 1893. The vines. still producing fruit. are derived from the original James Busby Collection via the Adelaide Botanical Gardens. Wendouree possesses an important cultural and historical identity. The winery is listed as an “indicative place ” on the register of the National Estate. Roly Birks. who put up his winemaking boots after 60 vintages. continued winemaking at Wendouree until 1983. Lita and Tony Brady. now veteran winemakers of nearly forty vintages. purchased the venerable property in 1974. The integrity and heritage of Wendouree are remarkably preserved. This is very much a 19th century working winery. The wines are strongly recognisable with an emphasis on fruit power. concentration and weight. The tannin structures are tightly knit and incredibly muscular.
The Wendouree unirrigated vineyards are located on an easterly ridge towards the northern end of the Clare Valley. The soils are shallow and meagre with red loam over “skilly ” limestone. In recent years a vertical shoot positioning trellising system has been introduced to optimise sunlight and to protect the fruit from ultra violet light. Natural cultivation practices are the norm. The low yielding (three to four tonnes per hectare). beautifully formed old Shiraz vines. tortured and serpentine (many from the original plantings). are unique. producing small berries with thick skins and a very high seed content. “Singularity of vineyard character ” is achieved by being “slaves rather than masters. ” The fruit is vinified in stainless steel lined open fermenters. Maturation takes place in roughly 20% new oak for around a year. It typically possesses a core of blackberry/ black olive aromas with complex iodine/ wet bitumen/ animal hide characters. Although there is clarity and buoyancy of fruit on the palate. the tannins are rusty and vice like. The oak barely shows through. It has been described as “an iron fist in velvet glove ” type wine.
There are remarkably few older bottles in circulation. This is largely explained by the way Wendouree wine was sold. Until 1974. the wines were bottled and marketed by merchants. Most of these were blended rather than single varietal wines. Some old Seabrook bottlings have been sold at auction in recent times. Bottled under screw cap from the 2009 vintage.
