Terre à Terre is proud to present its first release of Shiraz coming from its very unique close-spaced vineyard in Wrattonbully, South Australia.
This vineyard has been baptised the Crayères Vineyard, after the chalk cellars that are found throughout Xavier’s region of birth in Champagne, France. Similar natural structures are found underneath this very special vineyard, and they are now the subject of a research project led by a team from the University of Adelaide as they are full of undisturbed ancient fossilised remains.
The 2014 growing season was very challenging to start with cool and humid weather around flowering and severe heatwaves in January and early February; however, the growing season finished with very mild and warm conditions, with on average 6 weeks between véraison and harvest for all varieties. The Heat Degree Days summation (calculated as the sum of the monthly daily mean minus 10°C for the months of October to April included) was estimated at 1,414 degree days, which is lower than the average for Saint Emilion (1,530 degree days). One striking feature of the 2014 vintage was a very good and uniform set in all varieties, leading to a very harmonious and slow ripening at the end of the season. As a result, the fruit had great colour and amazing tannins and flavours. The fruit was handpicked on the 3rd of April 2014 and was of excellent quality.
The fruit was transported back to the Tiers winery in the Piccadilly Valley (Adelaide Hills) before it was crushed and destemmed. The must was fermented in one Potter fermenter and three 1-tonne fermenters. After 24 days fermentation and maceration, the must was pressed off skins and racked to 225L French oak barriques (70% new oak barriques from Vallaurine in Côtes du Rhône and 30% old barriques) where they aged for 12 months. The wine was then racked to a 5-year-old, 4,000L foudre (French oak) and aged for a final 6 months. After a very light egg fining in foudre, the wine was racked one more time before bottling without filtration on the 3rd of December 2015. 9% of 2014 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from the Crayères vineyard was added to the final blend before bottling.
This new wine shows the true – and exemplary – potential of the Wrattonbully wine region as an extraordinary cool climate region for Australian Shiraz. The wine shows wonderful pepper (aromatic – not reductive), blackberry and juicy plum flavours, whilst the palate is very earthy with gorgeous supple and lingering tannins.
In bottle analysis (AWRI): Alcohol = 14.3% v/v, pH = 3.65, TA = 5.1 g/L, VA = 0.43g/L
Only 500 dozen were produced.
Winemaker: Xavier Bizot
Tasting note: PDF file