Hentley Farm ‘The Beauty’ Shiraz
WINERY OF THE YEAR 2015
“The Beauty displays complex lifted aromatics, along with the softness and subtlety befitting a wine of this name”
€55,00
VARIETAL | Shiraz (co-fermented with Viognier) |
---|---|
VINTAGE | 2015 |
GEOGRAPHIC INDICATION | Barossa Valley, South Australia |
DRINK | now – 2036 |
ALCOHOL | 14.5% |
VOLUME | 750 ml |
Profile
The Beauty block is grown at the lowest point of the Hentley Farm vineyard, directly on the banks of Greenock Creek.
Primary reds fruits, white florals and tropical stone fruits leap out of the glass. Red and blue fruits also lead the palate with a strong spice element providing the complexity, a unique blend of blueberry and green peppercorn evidence of the cooler creek level breezes. Soft subtle tannin provide focus through the middle before opening up to broad savoury finish. Elegant and complex.
Shiraz and wet Viognier skins (3%) where combined at the weighbridge, destemmed only, and transferred to their fermentation vessel. A combination of inoculated and natural yeast strains performed the fermentation. After an initial temperature spike, 1/3 of the wine was sent to oak for fermentation off skins. The balance was chilled and returned over the skins where a minimal pump-over regime (1-2/day) was employed to ensure the softness of palate for which The Beauty is known. It was then basket pressed to a combination of new (35%) and old French barrels where it underwent natural malolactic fermentation. The wine spent a total of 16 months maturation in oak. No fining or filtration were used in the production of this wine.
– Winemaker, Andrew Quin
Reviews & Accolades
97 points – James Halliday, respected wine critic and vigneron
Read about Hentley Farm here