First released in 2013, Balhannah Vineyard Adelaide Hills Shiraz is a complex wine with a floral nose and a wonderfully textured palate.
Handpicked, sorted and fermented as whole berries and whole bunches in open fermenters, with gentle plunging and minimal working. Aged in 500-litre French oak puncheons for 14 months, followed by a further 14 months in bottle.
Hand-picked and sorted, open-fermented as whole berries and whole bunches, matured for 14 months in used French puncheons, then a further 14 months in bottle. The wine is still in its infancy, black fruits, spice, pepper and licorice in a Catherine wheel of flavours. It's a special wine that will have a very long life as the tannins are fully tamed.
97 points, Wine Companion (September 2019)
ADELAIDE HILLS
Located to the east of Adelaide,the Adelaide Hills is part of the Mount Lofty Ranges. Considered a cool-climate region, most vineyards are situated at elevations between 450 to 550 metres. Rainfall is relatively high and spring frosts often pose problems. Hot northerly winds also make bush fires a real threat in the region. Adelaide Hills is a jigsaw of meso-climates, with the best vineyards centred around Piccadilly Valley and Lenswood in protected sites facing north or north-east. Soils are derived from schistic and sedimentary rock; typically well-drained sandy loams over red clay interspersed with schistic gravels. A premium wine-growing region, Adelaide Hills is best known for crisp, lively Sauvignon Blanc and elegant cool climates styles of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz.
