Yalumba Patchwork Shiraz 2016 (Australia)

Yalumba Patchwork Shiraz 2016 (Australia)"From an outstanding vintage, this is a magnificent shiraz packed with blackberry, blueberry and plum flavours together with warm spice, game and cocoa notes. It is concentrated and fleshy on the palate, offering excellent fruit intensity and power, backed by velvety texture and silky tannins, finishing persistent and engaging. At its best: now to 2024" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jul 2018 "Full, even, black hued ruby red colour, a little lighter on the rim

"From an outstanding vintage, this is a magnificent shiraz packed with blackberry, blueberry and plum flavours together with warm spice, game and cocoa notes. It is concentrated and fleshy on the palate, offering excellent fruit intensity and power, backed by velvety texture and silky tannins, finishing persistent and engaging. At its best: now to 2024" Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Jul 2018

"Full, even, black-hued ruby-red colour, a little lighter on the rim with slight purple tints. The nose is softly rich and full with ripe fruit aromas of blackberries and dark raspberries, along with nuances of black plums, unfolding spice elements with black pepper, tar and minerals. Medium-full bodied, the palate has an elegantly proportioned palate with rich and deep flavours of ripe blackberry and plum fruit with liquorice, black pepper and tar. The flavours form a strong heart which reveals complexing earth and mineral detail as the wine flows. The fruit is supported by balanced, grainy tannin extraction and grip, with fresh acidity lending vitality. The wine leads to a long, soft, nuanced finish. This is a rich and concentrated Shiraz with ripe blackberry and raspberry fruit along with liquorice, pepper and tar on a grainy textured palate. Match with roasted game meat and semi-hard cheeses over the next 6+ years. Barossa fruit, indigenous yeast ferment initiated, and fermented to 14.2% alc., the wine aged 11 months in 11% new American, French and Hungarian oak hogsheads, barriques and octaves" Raymond Chan, Jul 2018

This wine can only be Shiraz! The 2016 Patchwork Shiraz shows the warmth and rich aromatics of the season. Deep and brooding with dark plum, licorice, anise and ripe fruits. There is a generous and inviting sweet depth of ripe fruit across the mid palate. The wine is moreish, full and fleshy. The palate is long and concentrated with a finesse of tannins to finish. Drink now or cellar for 5 - 10 years.

As distinct as the region that created it, Patchwork is the point where all of Barossa’s unique characteristics converge. History, craft, geography and climate come together to produce a Shiraz that perfectly articulates what this remarkable region truly represents.

A moderate winter led to a warm and dry spring. This more moderate weather continued into summer until the end of January when approximately 25mm of rain fell throughout Barossa. The rain was welcomed by all of our vignerons and gave the vines the much needed drink to finish off ripening the grapes. The warm days during summer and autumn were mediated by cool nights, leading to great acid retention and pristine fruit flavours being exhibited in our Shiraz wines.

A combination of small and medium size static fermenters were used, with ‘wild’ yeasts present on the grape skins being allowed to initiate fermentation. Cultured winery yeasts were then added to complete the fermentation and parcels were then pressed and run to barrel with the result being a wine with excellent depth of colour, richness and complexity.

Food Pairing: Enjoy with a thick chargrilled eye fillet or roasted vegetable moussaka and watch those flavours sing.