Planta Circa Ancestor Vine Barossa Valley Shiraz

This is warm climate Shiraz made with a deft hand and the vinous brushstroke of ancient vine material. Circa 1880, PF Zimmerman planted Grenache vines on his family property ‘Woodlands’ situated on the outskirts of Lyndoch. The site is around 250m above sea level with a Southerly aspect. Soil consists of deep sand over clay. The ungrafted goblet vines are hand pruned to twenty buds. Irrigation is minimal and only used in very dry years.

'This hallowed site fuels the top-drawer Planta Circa wines.'
Ned Goodwin MW

The fruit for this Shiraz is hand-picked around 10% is tipped into a concrete open fermenter. The balance is destemmed and lightly crushed on top. After around a week on skins, the fruit is basket pressed and transferred into one-third new French oak to undergo MLF (malolactic fermentation). The wine is then left on light lees to mature for eight months before racking back to the same oak and matured for another nine months.

Langton’s Writer Ian Desmond sits down with Master of Wine Ned Goodwin MW to look at the Planta Circa wines from Purple Hands. The Ancestor Vine Grenache, Shiraz and Cabernet are sourced from some of the oldest plantings in Australia yet winemaker Craig Stansborough has used the fruit to make completing, contemporary wines.