2019 Sandalford 1840 Shiraz
Fresh berry fruits meld with layers of savoury spices. There’s notes of Szechuan pepper, mocha and cedar. The palate has lovely weight and complexity. The silky tannins and acid work together to produce a wine with wonderful length.
Winemaker comments
Winemaker Notes
Machine picked in mid-March 2019, the Shiraz grapes were de-stemmed to small 5 tonne open fermenters before being inoculated with a selected yeast isolate. The ferment was treated by pumping over twice daily to keep the skins and juice in constant contact. Based on taste, the ferment was pressed to tank once the perfect balance of colour, flavour and tannin extraction was reached. After the completion of primary fermentation, the wine was inoculated for Malolactic Fermentation (MLF), before being transferred into French oak barriques. With 10% new oak, the wine spent 15 months maturing in these barrels prior to blending and bottling.
Meet the maker
By the time I turned 18, I had become fascinated with wine. I was keen to learn as much about wine as I could and I received some great advice: to work in the industry before committing to any tertiary study....
Continue Reading > I was lucky enough to get my start at the cellars at Houghton Wines, here in the Swan Valley. I loved it, and it was the beginning of a career which was to eventually see me spend 20 years with Houghton’s. But first, I wanted to discover what traditional winemaking was like in the northern hemisphere. I took myself off to Burgundy, France, where I worked several vintages learning as much as I could about the craft of winemaking from some the best in the business. Returning to Australia I continued my career, picking up a few awards in the process of learning more and more about winemaking and achieving Bachelor of Applied Science and Oenology at Charles Sturt University, NSW. I was awarded the inaugural Gourmet Traveler Young Winemaker of the Year 2001, James Halliday’s Winemaker of the year in 2009, Winemaker of the Year in Ray Jordan's 2017 Annual West Australian Wine Guide, and I’ve judged extensively at capital city and regional wine shows. Australia makes some amazing world class wines! I’ve been fortunate to be Senior Winemaker at Sandalford Wines since March 2021 and I’m delighted every day by our estates’ old vines, the passion of the viticulture team here, and the outcomes we are able to achieve each vintage.
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Continue Reading > I was lucky enough to get my start at the cellars at Houghton Wines, here in the Swan Valley. I loved it, and it was the beginning of a career which was to eventually see me spend 20 years with Houghton’s. But first, I wanted to discover what traditional winemaking was like in the northern hemisphere. I took myself off to Burgundy, France, where I worked several vintages learning as much as I could about the craft of winemaking from some the best in the business. Returning to Australia I continued my career, picking up a few awards in the process of learning more and more about winemaking and achieving Bachelor of Applied Science and Oenology at Charles Sturt University, NSW. I was awarded the inaugural Gourmet Traveler Young Winemaker of the Year 2001, James Halliday’s Winemaker of the year in 2009, Winemaker of the Year in Ray Jordan's 2017 Annual West Australian Wine Guide, and I’ve judged extensively at capital city and regional wine shows. Australia makes some amazing world class wines! I’ve been fortunate to be Senior Winemaker at Sandalford Wines since March 2021 and I’m delighted every day by our estates’ old vines, the passion of the viticulture team here, and the outcomes we are able to achieve each vintage.
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Tasting notes
Varietals
Varietal
Shiraz
Colour
Other Notes
Deep cherry red
Nose
Production
Bright black and blue berries with underlying savoury spices, particularly pepper and nutmeg. Background notes of peppermint and dried rosemary adding interest.
Palate
Tasting Note
Fresh berry fruits meld with layers of savoury spices. There’s notes of Szechuan pepper, mocha and cedar. The palate has lovely weight and complexity. The silky tannins and acid work together to produce a wine with wonderful length.
Vintage Conditions
Vineyard Notes
Whilst the majority of Australia had a hot summer with above average temperatures, the southwest corner of WA was blessed with a mild summer, with temperatures for the period falling below average. These milder conditions resulted in a delayed ripening for most varieties resulting in excellent flavour development within the grapes at harvest. With no disease pressure, all grapes were harvested with an optimum balance of sugar and flavours. The resulting wines show wonderful varietal characters.
