Koomilya JC Block Shiraz 2018

A single-block Shiraz from 46-year-old vines with a southwestern exposure at an altitude of 120m.

Soils are dark-grey, slaty siltstone thinly laminated with ironstone. Hand harvested on 1st March at yields of 3.3 tonnes/hectare. The fruit underwent spontaneous fermentation with 20% whole clusters included, and the juice spent 14 days on skins. It was settled over 12 days. It was then moved to second- and third-use French oak puncheons for malolactic conversion and 20 months' maturation. It was racked once before being bottled without filtration on 11th December 2019. Alcohol 14%; pH 3.61; total acidity 6.4g/L. Total sulphur at bottling 64ppm.

'A single block planted 46 years ago. 20% whole bunch, second and third fill puncheons. 1,900 bottles produced. Great to taste these three single block Koomilya wines together, but this is the one that really makes you go ‘Woah!’.

Earthy, saline, fragrant, deep, special. Liquorice, bramble fruit, walnut, spice, charcoal, dried flowers and herbs. Thick tanning rolling through the mouth, nori and lavender perfume, all the berries but not fruity, as such, powerful and stony, with chew and freshness on a superb long finish. And, indeed, it’s the length of flavour and presence that marks this out as a special wine. Outstanding. An Australian classic. Very long term.' - 96+ points. Gary Walsh, The Wine Front