Vintage
It is a massive truism, but really, every vintage is different. Vintage 2012 was condensed into about 8 weeks from go to whoa which meant we had finished crushing all grapes by the end of March. Generally this feat would only be accomplished by the middle to end of April. Yields across all varieties were considerably down on average (from 15-40% in some varieties), but quality is looking very promising for both reds and whites. We had cool conditions up until the end of February then some rain, which did not affect things too much (see vintage 2011)as the whites were already picked and safely in the winery, and reds were unaffected. Joch’s prediction, with further checks on wine in barrel and subsequent contemplation is that 2012 will be a great red wine year.
Winemaking
Our aim has remained the same over the 12 years we have been making the Battle Shiraz, namely to make a delicious mid-weight wine with a balance of fruit, oak and flavour. It looks very much like we’ve managed to do just that once more with the 2012 Shiraz. The wine is traditionally made in open fermenters, and the ferment finishes in barrel. We use about 40% new oak barriques, the majority of which are from 3-4 different French coopers. Joch chooses grapes from a few of our Shiraz blocks – Braden’s which is on the black cracking Biscay clays, The Hill Shiraz from just in front of cellar door as well as Chanticleer on the free-draining stony loam soils.
Tasting Notes
The Battle 2012 Shiraz has a full and mouth filling palate, with soft and persistent tannins and enormous length. This wine’s a keeper, too – put it in your cellar and forget about it for a while, if you can. It has those characteristic McLaren Vale black and red fruits on the nose which may beguile you into forgetting to cellar it, however. Either way if you drink it now, or choose to squirrel some away, the outcome will be the same; enormous enjoyment from this organically grown wine from one of the best Shiraz regions in the world.
Technical Details
| Vineyards | Braden's, 'Grange' (Hill Blocks) and Chanticleer |
|---|---|
| Picking Date | March 2012 |
| pH Level | 3.46 |
| Total Acidity | 6.38 |
| Alc/Vol | 14.5% |
| Bottling Date | 10th September 2013 |