Mclaren Vale Shiraz exhibits a range of sub-regional styles . They are typically medium to full bodied with vibrant pure fruit,blueberry, chococlate and spice . Sustainability is an increasingly important issue here especially regarding water availability . A trip to Battle of Bosworth demonstrated a trend to organic wine production.
The day started early in the Serafino Cellar room with a ‘speed dating’ Shiraz session.
These wines had a lovely tannin structure aided by open fermentation, basket press, hand plunging.
Tintara- Upper Tintara Shiraz 2013
Only 500 cases made delicious sweet berry nose , 25% new oak, good acid tannin balance chocolate coffee blackberry
Eileen hardy 2013
112 yrs old vineyard dead arm is a problem approx. $110 dollars/bottle dark Berry complex +++
Serafino with Russell Gallagher and Charles Whish
Serafino Sorrento 3 km from coast
Their entry level shiraz, fruit forward savoury herb sage spice
Serafino Black Label
Spice nutmeg soft fruit cinnamon , spice, chocolate baking spice , clove length complexity +
Coriole Shiraz 2014 app $30 dollars soils are 600 million year limestone with just one foot of topsoil
Black berry fruit spice liquorice pepper
Lloyd Shiraz 2013
100 year old vines planted in 1919, hand picked
Deep ++ dark spice open fermentation more oxidative piégeage pump over.
Very complex- dark chocolate, coffee, pepper, soft lush ripe tannins , long finish, baking spices blue berry , barrel 2 yrs French oak non irrigation, yield 2 tonnes per acre ,a few bottles per vine if you’re lucky. +
The laughing magpie 2012 Shiraz viognier
Foot treading co fermentation basket pressed app $30
Concentrated fruit, 450 acres biodynamic vineyards, coffee, chocolate, spice, blue fruits grippy tannins, fruit abundant
The Dead Arm 2013 app $60
Great balance persistence tannins,15- 20 mins foot treading at 4 Baume ,basket pressed
Chocolate factory chocolate core coffe mocha decadent
blackberry and blueberry pie star anise nutmeg.
As part of their sponsorship of Legacy club South Australia
Zonte’s Footstep donates a proportion of each bottle of Z-Force ,
in tribute to the bravery of members of the Z Special Unit
Cool climate area, boundaries Adelaide Hills
Catapult Shiraz 200 m above sl, fragrant viognier french oak juicy berry perfumed aromatic style blueberries
Whaite Old Block scarce earth programme,1975 Blewitt Springs
floral perfume tannin structure
RSW 2014 Flagship wine named after the original owner, grown on sandy soils with bit of black clay
Elegance balance floral hand picked open ferment ,4 day cold soak , basket press French oak30% new,8 /9 days ferment
Blood iron power elegance still a baby 2014.
Battle of Bosworth with Joch Bosworth
Puritan Shiraz 2016 no added sulfur,organic
Raspberries violets pretty floral purple sl reductive joven style it is filtered not natural
Battle of Bosworth Shiraz 2014
Floral elegant closed some smoke coffee
Learning points -less oak less time less new, fine grain.
Site specification leading to more elegance and structure
Soursop weeds encouraged help strip surface moisture.
A truly indulgent lunch with Steve Maglieri and winemakers at Serafino’s fine winery restaurant.
Visit to Battle of Bosworth, Sustainability session.
Location bordering Adelaide Hills , single vineyard wines
Settled 1836 first grapes 1838 lots organic viticulture the climate is ideal
Underground water used for drip irrigation.
Sustainable , optimum watering needs worked out by hydrologist.
Also reclaimed water from Southern suburbs Adelaide 50% water for vineyard
600 mm / year rainfall
Soursop bulbs encouraged (South African weed helps aerate soils)We together with fungal hyphae
We had a live demonstration of Joch’s drone used to scare off birds and reduce reliance on netting.
Tasting of Chardonnay , Rose Shiraz, Cab Sauvignon and some interesting varietals –
Touriga Nacional floral ++vibrant red berries 8 yrs on 30 yr old roots
Lovely, Med bodied Med tannins ripe soft mod acidity +++
Graciano salty savoury herbal cherry medicinal
White boar Amarone style dried on vine cane cut Shiraz Cabernet amarone style 2012 rich lush.
It was a very informative and informal afternoon with the lovely Louise and Joch
which was rounded off perfectly with Louise’s delicious homemade scones!
Dinner Horta on the beach at Port Noarlunga
Just in case we hadn’t had enough calories today,we made a trip to Hortas overlooking the Ocean with Seafood, gambas calamari and spiced Portuguese fish.
Some of the many wine highlights included the Clonakilla Riesling and the 2007 Tasmanian méthode traditionnelle,7 yrs on lees, and a wide range of the SC Pannell wines.
Mark Lloyd planted Australia’s first sangiovese in 1985, which now comprises 10 per cent of Coriole’s estate output, beside other significant plantings of Barbera, Nebbiolo. There is a new wave of diversification of Australian wine noticeable in this region with a wide range of Mediterranean varietals being experimented.
Grenache tasting at 
WanderCurtis Wine 