McW 660 Reserve Hilltops Shiraz 2015

Vineyard Region: Hilltops, NSW Vintage: 2015 Grape Varietal: Shiraz Vintage Conditions: A mild Spring and early Summer set the vines up well for a good vintage. Rain in the second week of January freshened the vines and provided ideal moisture for the ripening period. This was followed by warm weather which persisted throughout the entire harvested period, resulting in a compressed vintage. There was nil disease pressure due to the great canopies and low yields. All red grapes were of great quality this season with vibrant fruit flavours and supple tannins. Colour: A vibrant red purple. Aroma: A fragrant fusion of black cherries, violets and toasty oak. Palate: An elegant medium bodied wine with juicy red fruits and spicy oak. The supple tannins gently frames the wine, showcasing the balance and poise of this medium bodied style. Vinification and Maturation: Harvested in the cool of the morning to preserve fruit integrity, the fruit upon arrival at the winery was transferred into open top fermenters with an average of 15% whole bunches included. Following a gentle three day prefermentation cold soak the wines were inoculated with cultured yeast. Extraction was achieved through a combination of plunging and pump overs for a period of 12 days then gently pressed prior to being racked to barrel. Barrel details were all French oak puncheons and hogsheads with 20% new, 40% one year old and 40% two year old. Maturation in barrel for nine months prior to be carefully blended and lightly fined in preparation for bottling. Alcohol: 14.0%

pH: 3.5

Acidity: 6.2 g/L

Peak Drinking: Drinking well now but will reward medium term cellaring.