Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier began its life after a career defining trip to the Côte-Rôtie in the mid 90s which set Tim Kirk on the journey towards producing one of Australia's best Shiraz. Determined to show that Australia could produce elegant but still powerful Shiraz, Tim's work has paid off with his flagship being acclaimed worldwide. In only 15 years, the Shiraz Viognier has attained 'Exceptional' status with Langton's, the highest possible.
Katnook are synonymous with premium quality Cabernet from Coonawarra and this brilliant wine stands up against any great Cabernet in the world. Aged for 35 month in French oak, the aromas and flavours of dark berries and spicy plum are beautifully interwoven with mulberry. Will age for 10 - 20 years with ease.
Penfolds St Henri is one of Australia's greatest red wines. The Shiraz for St Henri is selected for subtlety and elegance and the finished wine has the structure complexity for extended bottle maturation. The 1991 is a classic St Henri vintage that is good to drink until 2022.
Penfolds RWT Shiraz is a big juicy Barossan Shiraz refined by the use of older French oak barrels. 1998 is considered to be one of the classic vintages of the modern age. Drinking wonderfully now but with many years still to come in its development, this is a great addition to any cellar.
Although this wine is plush, dense and rich, it possesses a compelling percussion and balance. Right up there with Grange and Hill Of Grace as one of Australia's best Shiraz, and from one of the greatest vintages too!
Moss Wood Moss Wood Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River Moss Wood is one of the Margaret River originals (planted 1969; first vintage 1973) and this iconic flagship wine Langtons Classified since 1990 has long been Western Australias leading Cabernet Sauvignon. Figures from the cellarage company Wine Ark show that it consistently rates as Australias Most Collected Cabernet. Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon is intensely perfumed and finely structured with cassis-blackcurrant aromas, hints of cedar and touches of violet. The oak and fruit are neatly balanced. With proven ageing potential the wine develops subtle earth/demi-glace briar characters on the bouquet, and complexity and suppleness on the palate. The unirrigated and widely spaced vineyard (now 14.86-hectares) is planted on gentle north-east facing slopes with sandy loams to a gravelly red/brown loams over clay. Typically the fruit is hand-picked, de-stemmed into open tanks and hand-plunged four times a day until completion of fermentation. At the end of vinification, the wine is allowed to macerate for around 10 to 14 days prior to pressing off into barrel. The wine is matured in 30% new and seasoned French oak barriques for 24 months.
The utterly sublime and exhilarating Langi Shiraz is typified by ethereal blackberry/ brambly/ dark cherry/ pepper/ violet aromas and flavours, supple textures, mid-palate buoyancy and underlying savoury oak. The grapes come from the "Langi Shiraz" block planted with "Swiss Clone material originally sourced from nearby Best's Concongella Vineyard. The granitic soils and cold south-westerlies are influential in producing its distinctive flavour profile. Meticulous attention to detail are behind the winemaking. After a cold soak the fruit (some whole bunch) is open-fermented with regular hand plunging. Some components complete fermentation in barrel. The wine is aged for around 14 months in new (45%) and seasoned French oak.
The Malleea (an aboriginal word for 'green paddock') is a very fine exapmle of the classic Australian Cabernet/Shiraz blend. The 2008 is rich, dark magenta in colour, with ripe plums, spice and vanillin oak on the nose. The palate is like a complex fruit cake with layers of fresh berries, black olives and hints of chocolate.
Grosset's Watervale Riesling is a fresh, zesty Riesling full of character and flavour. The nose gives lemon, lime and orange rind with a touch of minerally freshness. The palate has concentrated zesty flavours with crisp acidity leading to a long lemony finish.
Kevin Cullen was a passionate believer in the quality of Margaret River as a wine region and particularly of its potential to become one of the great areas for both Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Here's his proof! [Biodynamic]