We recorded just about average annual rainfall over the year, which resulted in healthy crops of Shiraz and Cabernet. Unseasonably warm November weather interfered with the Chardonnay during flowering and has resulted in small crops of this variety. The weather then remained almost perfect for the rest of vintage. The general consensus amongst winemakers in the Vale is that 2010 marks an exceptional year for both red and white wines.

As much as we like to think we are mavericks at Battle of Bosworth in our habits of marching to the beat of a different drum, in reality we made this wine using fairly standard winemaking techniques. Fermentation occurred in a combination of both tank and open fermentation vessels. The main divergence from red winemaking SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) is that we bottled this Shiraz immediately after malolactic fermentation finished, so we could capture the youthful and vibrant Shiraz fruit characters. The wine did not spend any time in oak, and of course we made and bottled the wine without using any preservatives (sulphur dioxide).

To sum up:  "It was the style of the wine that came first, for me, and the preservative-free aspect came second," Joch says."The important thing is it's a good McLaren Vale shiraz," he says."Everything else follows after that."

• Professional Judges Choice in Certified Organic Section – SA Wine of the Year Awards, September 2010

  'In the inaugural class for certified organic/ biodynamic wines, the professionals were quite excited by this new vintage, freshly styled red. It shows great vibrant colours as well as bright, juicy, crimson, raspberry fruit flavour, a dash of spice and even a light tannin dusting. It's ready to drink and worth exploring for being a good McLaren Vale red as much as for its organic and preservative-free status.'

• The Wine Front, Gary Walsh - www.winefront.com.au

  'If you're going to do this sort of thing, then do it well. And this is done to perfection. Smells and tastes of purple. Vigorous, juicy crushed berries, violets, licorice and meat. It's medium to full bodied and bursting with fruit and spice. Has freshness and purpose, proper tannins, and for a wine that's barely out of nappies, has a degree of complexity and vinosity that's quite something. Length too. True Joven style. Hard to rate, but very easy to drink. ' Rated : 91 Points

• The Melbourne Age and Sydney Morning Herald Good Wine Guide 2012 Nick Stock

  Preservative free means this is best drunk young and fresh- the nose has wild fruits, a little untamed and raw and that’s the charm. In the mouth there’s smooth dark plum and black cherry, some liquorice, smooth tannins and good length. 91 Points

• Wine 100 in Wine Business Magazine Nov/ Dec 2010 Nick Stock

  Preservative free means this is best drunk young and fresh- the nose has wild fruits, a little untamed and raw and that’s the charm. In the mouth there’s smooth dark plum and black cherry, some liquorice, smooth tannins and good length.

  91 Points

• 'Explore wine's light red districts' Courier Mail 2nd November 2010 Tony Love

  THERE'S a pretty clear case at this time of the year for drinking more medium-bodied and lighter-alcohol reds such as pinot noir.

  Take the next logical step several winemakers have and you also can catch the wave of 2010 reds already out and about enjoying the sunshine. They're obviously young and vibrant with few similarities to the big robust reds we usually drink.

  McLaren Vale's Battle of Bosworth 2010 Shiraz ($20) is a vibrant crimson with raspberry licorice aromas and spicy sweet fruit flavours. A gem, and organic and preservative-free to boot.

  Preservative-free wines are another trend to note. .....the future of these new vintage and preservative-free reds depends on them being very good wines in their own right, rather than being a fad.

  That's where the Battle of Bosworth 2010 Shiraz comes into its own.

  It is bright and breezy and very easy drinking with fresh clear flavours. After deciding he wanted to make a young, drink-now style wine, Joch Bosworth realised he didn't need the usual sulphur dioxide preservative as long as he got it into a screw cap bottle as soon as the wine had become stable after its secondary fermentation process, preventing as much contact with oxygen as possible.

  "It was the style of the wine that came first, for me, and the preservative-free aspect came second," Joch says."The important thing is it's a good McLaren Vale shiraz," he says."Everything else follows after that."

• WINING POM www.winingpom.com Patrick Haddock 2nd July 2010

   

  'Battle of Bosworth aka husband and wife team Joch and Louise have long been advocates of organic winemaking but this is the first time they've gone even more natural. A preservative free Shiraz made in the Joven style (Spanish for drink now) so its spent no time in oak and is freshly bottled. It is a wine that speaks of the Vale, it's got a gorgeous fruit signature with black cherry and blackcurrant to the fore with notes of spice. The palate is silky, fruity, and moreish held together by supple tannins and firm acids. Great drinking at the price.'

• James Halliday’s Wine Companion online Sept 2nd 2010

  ‘Extraordinarily deep purple-crimson; the dense fruit bouquet and palate follow on logically; bypassed oak barrels altogether. Paradoxically, needs a year or two to settle down, but a very good example of preservative-free wine.

  90 points, drink to 2013.’

• The Weekend Australian Magazine July 17th-18th 2010 Max Allen….

   ...'the 2010 Battle of Bosworth Preservative Free Shiraz: typically black jubey McLaren Vale richness at first , but it gradually revealed stunning aromatic dried herbs and currants…'

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