The 2017 DTG Shiraz is a beautiful dark garnet colour with black cherry, blueberry and mixed spice on the nose. Hints of pepper and soft oak spice are beautifully integrated with blackberry fruits and medium bodied silky tannins.

Vintage 2017 is best described as a waiting game. The season was very long with fruit slow to ripen and although the urge just to pick it all was there, winemakers had to bide their time until they had optimal flavours and ripeness. Once the decision was made to pick the grapes came in at an orderly pace, although increased yields due to the rain in spring made the juggling game in the winery even more challenging, with tank space at a premium. They made it through the marathon 2017 vintage and are thrilled with the exceptional quality including a number of really extraordinary parcels.

Fruit for the DTG Shiraz was sourced from a single vineyard established in 1998 in the rugged, mountainous Grampians region of Victoria. Wines from this region typically produce characters of elegance, power and beauty with staying power. The wine was fermented with wild yeast, in open pots, hand plunged twice a day for 10 days. As soon as  primary fermentation was complete, the wine was racked into 500L French Oak Puncheons (80% New Oak, 20% 1 Year Old), where it was left to go through malolactic fermentation. With minimal intervention, the viticulture/winemaking was more important than ever.

This wine is a labour of love. In 2014, winemaker Jo Nash discovered an exceptional parcel of Shiraz from the Grampians which she gently crushed, then tucked away in some ridiculously expensive French oak barrels to age for 12 months. The wine speaks for itself – minimal intervention, purity of fruit, Shiraz at its best.

Food Pairing: This is a special occasion wine. Drink with like-minded wine lovers who enjoy sticking it to the man! Take a moment to admire the gorgeous colour of the wine, then it’s a perfect match to charcuterie and cheese, char grilled steak, or a meat pie. Do what you want to do, just DTG.