Samuel's Gorge Winery

McLaren Vale | South Australia

The Wines

2014 Samuel's Gorge Shiraz
More informataion coming soon

2013 Samuel's Gorge Shiraz

We have turned our hands at more Shiraz than any other single grape variety. It is a variety that reins over our province and for that matter, most regions in South Australia. Its magnitude in accessibility ought not to be confused with magnitude of fruit flavour. It has charmed the world because it delivers concentration but concentration on a multitude of levels.

Take the time to discern between regions and more so between the many interpretations producer to producer. In my mind, there isn’t one classic regional style but perhaps a regional signature. In McLaren Vale we see the overriding relationship with the gulf and the endless blue ocean and sky. If one could dial up an out of body experience and witness our province from elevation you will see extraordinary intricacy, diversity in personality and application to landscape. That is why this great grape is endlessly fascinating and never monolithic or generic here; Leave those ideas in the 80’s.

It may be true that in our place we talk less about Shiraz; we ought to give it more air time. It seems that it has charm without embellishment. This 2013 gives us so much pleasure. We find ourselves gathering to talk about life’s subjects while we savour this wine. Its bloody good booze and that’s just a given but here is some detail...

The ‘Holly Nelly’ factor: the nose has a potent lift of liquorice and blackberry fruits. We embrace the mulberries that continue to be a signature of our own estate block and then we build from there. In order to balance the natural sweetness of these berry fruits the wine weaves in savoury of black olives and baccalà with ancient sticky balsamic. Our rustic house style always comfortably returning to a savoury spectrum. The ‘13 shows some engaging twists and turns; the swirl of smoke from a campfire in winter; the smouldering red gum and the dark smells of black coal.

We sustain ourselves from our farm grown offerings; we are in the realm of the hunter/gatherer. Recently our Irish friends used the resources from a sow to deliver breakfast blood sausage. A dark sausage with clove and cinnamon; this 2013 shiraz is a perfect match for such fare, but perhaps not at breakfast...? Leave that for Grenache.

Imagine an artisan, small batch coffee bean roast house: a mixture of freshly roasted beans, dusty hessian bags, hints of the darkest chocolate and the pull of the espresso shot that simultaneously entrances and enlivens the mind. Then the intrigue of the animal: blinding herds of bison migrating between foraging sites across the Midwestern plains, a rising sea of dust, sweat and bravado. Detailed and layered with cascades of flavour that mirror the aromatics. So much mid-palate weight and mouth-filling tannins with an emphasis on texture and freshness over fullness. It refuses to fade.

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