ORCHID DRAGON SYRAH 2020

2020 VINTAGE
Vintage 2020 will be remembered as the earliest harvest on record with great fruit quality. The growing season started warm and very dry. Spring rainfall was also below average and our soils were quite dry as the vines came out of dormancy and watering commenced earlier than normal. These dry conditions kept disease pressure low which was a positive, but also led to lower vine vigour compared to other years. The favourable weather for the remainder of the ripening period meant we had an “early” vintage, with reds of amazing colour and intensity.

WINE STYLE     Full-bodied red wine
REGION             Frankland River, Western Australia
APPEARANCE  Vibrant ruby with purple rim.
NOSE                  Classic cool-climate spiciness, violets and hints of leather
PALATE             Fine tannins with juicy, dark fruit core of plums and hints of rhubarb.

VINIFICATION
Harvested from Block 11 on the Ferngrove vineyard, this vineyard surrounds the Vineyard Manager’s house, so it gets all of the attention it deserves. The Dragon Syrah contains a portion of handpicked fruit left as whole bunches during ferment that contributes structure and complexity. The other portion of fruit is gently
destemmed into our small open fermenters, followed by a period of cold soaking. The must is gently pumped-over to maximise the colour and tannin extraction. Fermentation was carried out on skins for 3 weeks, pressed and completed malolactic fermentation before being transferred into a mix of new and old French oak barrels for sixteen months in our climate-controlled barrel hall.
Careful blending by our winemaking team produce varietal wines of intensity with great potential for aging. Bottling was on-site at our vineyard.

CELLARING          Will benefit from careful cellaring for up to 10 years.
SERVE                    Serve at room temperature 18C.
FOOD                      Enjoy with spring lamb roasted and infused with garlic and rosemary.

PRODUCT AWARDS
The Benedict Cowra Quartz Trophy for Best Single Vineyard Shiraz – 2022 Australian Single Vineyard Wine Show.
TOP GOLD – 2022 Australian Single Vineyard Wine Show.
TOP GOLD – 2022 Australian Cool Climate Wine Show
Bronze – 2022 National Cool Climate Wine Show
Bronze – 2022 Rutherglen Wine Show
Bronze – 2022 Royal Hobart Wine Show
Bronze – 2022 Southern Forests and Valleys Wine Show
Bronze – National Wine Show 2023