Vintage
2019
ABV
14.5%
Wine Type
Red
Wine Style
Still
Wine Description
Aged in a single barrel buried in the earth under our vines, this is an exceptional, rare and unique Shiraz experience. A wine truly made in the vineyard.
The fruit was handpicked and destemmed on a biodynamic fruit day, before being transferred into the open fermenter as whole berries. The finest single barrel from this select parcel was isolated from the batch and coated in a thin layer of beeswax to help protect it from the rigours of being buried underground. A wooden chive (traditionally used in old world winemaking) was then inserted into the bung hole to further seal the barrel and protect its precious contents. The barrel was then returned to the vineyard from which its contents were grown, carefully buried in a two-metre deep hole, where it was covered with earth and left to rest. Over the six months that followed, the cool, damp and stable underground environment performs a crucial role in the wine’s flavour and balance.
Winemaker's Bio
Mike Brown is the managing director of Gemtree, where he does everything from making the wine to wearing out the shoe leather (in a normal year) during his travels from Queenstown to Quebec, sharing the stories of his McLaren Vale wines.
Originally from NSW, Mike undertook a vintage in SA in the early 1990s, shortly thereafter leaving Sydney and his job at the stock exchange to study wine marketing, gaining valuable insights into wineries and winemaking. However, it was the smells, tastes and activity within the cellar that Mike really loved. After working many vintages in wineries around McLaren Vale and France, in 1998 Mike completed his first vintage as a winemaker at Gemtree.