Shiraz Ironstone
2016
Pirramimma was founded by Alexander Campbell Johnston in 1892 and has been owned and operated by the Johnston family ever since. The Johnston family arrived in South Australia in 1839 and in 1892 Alexander, the tenth of thirteen children, purchased 97 hectares of rich farmland southeast of the then fledgling village of McLaren Vale. He named his land Pirramimma, an Aboriginal phrase meaning "the moon and the stars." The vineyard soils vary from sandy, on the rise, to rich dark loam on the flat....
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40% matured for 28 months in new French oak and American oak, the remainder in older barriques. Deep crimson-purple; this is a rich and luscious wine, but keeps a sense of proportion and balance, with fruit and tannins simply acknowledging the oak. Will live for many decades.
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A thick soup of plum-drenched flavour, toasty vanillin oak and choc-mint flavours sprinkled over the top, nips of kirsch for good measure. A full-on red wine, dense, inky, mouthfilling. Ripe tannin steps in on the finish and pulls the load of flavour forward. Substantial.
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The Oz style is all about fruit and softness. In this case, it's rich red plums and sassy mulberry fruit with a dusting of vanilla. On the palate the wine is expansive but vibrant with more dark plums, blackberries, and flecks of milk chocolate. The finish is substantial, with soft spice and a very light pepper tone, compared to Rhone or BC. A hedonistic style of shiraz with balance, this will age for a decade. Some 40 percent of this shiraz spends 28 months in new French oak and American oak, but thanks to the high fruit factor the tannins are kept well in check. A roast leg of lamb would be the ticket here.
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