BLOODSTONE SHIRAZ 2017 – TASTING NOTES FROM THE WINERY

Bloodstone - a stone of wisdom and creativity

VARIETALS

100% shiraz - from our premium organic vineyards in McLaren Vale

COLOUR

Dark ruby red with purple hues.

NOSE

A lifted and aromatic wine with notes of red cherry, black current,

blueberry and a hint of spice.

PALATE

The palate is medium-weight with a soft and generous mouthfeel.

Well-balanced acidity highlights the vibrant and complex red and

blue fruits yet still maintaining purity and elegance.

FOOD PAIRING

An open fire with a side serve of baked brie!

CELLARING

Now to 2022

SPECIFICATIONS

Alcohol. 14.0%

pH. 3.53

Titratable Acid. 6.29

Residual Sugar. 1 g/L

Oak. 10 months in French oak barrels

VINTAGE CONDITIONS

After over 800mm of rain in 2016, which is 250mm above average for McLaren Vale, the vines cruised into January with a healthy amount of soil moisture and what appeared to be good crops. A further 79mm of rain in January delayed ripening, combined with mild summer temperatures -and an Indian summer, the vines continued to show no signs of stress. The harvest commenced on 24th February, a relaxing one month after 2016. A perfect long slow ripening season was enhanced by no heat waves and good soil moisture levels. We are delighted with the quality of vintage 2017, exceptional and outstanding come to mind, with our philosophy of picking when flavour is at its peak, paying off once again. Happy drinking.

WINEMAKING NOTES

Vineyard, site and parcel selection is a major focus of all our wines at Gemtree. For Bloodstone we select the sites that display varietal expression, concentration and finesse. In 2017 we selected several Shiraz parcels from a range of soil profiles, the majority being sandy, well drained soils, which make fragrant, juicy wines. Fermentation occurred naturally in open fermenters and pressing off the skins once the colour, flavour and tannin had been maximised. Ageing occurred in French oak barrels ranging in size from puncheons (500L) to barriques (225L) for 10 months. No racking of the wines occurred in this time, so the wine aged on its lees, allowing sulphur additions to be kept to a minimum and the true character of the wine to blossom.

(SKU: GT_BLS_17)