2020 Sandalford 1840 Shiraz
The palate has lovely ripe fruit weight that is overlaid with layers of savoury spice., mocha and cedar notes adding complexity. The firm, tight tannins and acid balance work together to carry the palate to present a wine with wonderful length of flavour. In short, a great wine from a great vintage.
Winemaker comments
Winemaker Notes
Estate grown old vine Shiraz grapes were picked and de-stemmed to small 5 tonne open fermenters which also included around 10% whole bunch clusters. Following a three-day cold soak, the must was inoculated with a select yeast isolate, gently worked through to dryness, then pressed to tank at completion of fermentation. The wine was transferred to French oak barriques (10% new) for Malolactic Fermentation, then spent 14 months maturing in these barrels prior to blending and bottling. This wine has been held in bottle for two years before release, and whilst drinking well in its youth, will reward the patience of careful cellaring for 10-15 years.
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 garnet with ruby hues
Nose
Production
Blackberry and plum fruits with savoury notes of leather, earth, black pepper and nutmeg. Background nuances of liquorice, wild mint and dried rosemary adding interest.
Palate
Tasting Note
The palate has lovely ripe fruit weight that is overlaid with layers of savoury spice., mocha and cedar notes adding complexity. The firm, tight tannins and acid balance work together to carry the palate to present a wine with wonderful length of flavour. In short, a great wine from a great vintage.
Vintage Conditions
Vineyard Notes
2020 was a vintage like no other. Whilst a global pandemic changed the way people lived their lives, Western Australia experienced a near perfect vintage. The preceding Spring growing season was warmer than average resulting in earlier bud burst and grape development. Grape yields were lower than average which led to one of the earliest harvests on record. The near perfect growing season allowed the winemakers to harvest fruit at optimal flavour and sugar ripeness. The resulting wines display ripe, concentrated varietal fruit characteristics.
