PAXTON 2023 MV SHIRAZ

VINTAGE 2023: Low and slow. The 2023 growing season was a time for viticulturalists to show off their impressive skills. From a cold and wet, seemingly never-ending winter to a Spring which seemed like it was still winter, a long, cool Summer which seemed like Spring, challenges were abound. Numerous climatic challenges including cool and windy weather during flowering, one of the wettest Springs for 30 years and even more windy weather in Summer meant that crops were small but our organic and biodynamic farming methods paid off our vines showed incredible resilience to whatever came their way. A season that was around three weeks late on average and had a much slower ripening period means that 2023 wines show great acid, complex layers of delicate flavours, lightness, brightness, and longevity.

VINIFICATION: Individual parcels from each vineyard were picked at optimum sugar, acid and flavour balance. These parcels remained separate throughout vinification and blended prior to bottling. Fermentation began after gently de-stemming the fruit into both open and static fermenters. During fermentation, each parcel was plunged and pumped over twice a day for 2 weeks, to extract flavour, colour and tannin compounds. The ferments were then pressed to a combination of new and mature French oak barriques (225L) and puncheons (500L), where they were nurtured for 12 months before blending and bottling.

ALCOHOL: 14.0%

VARIETY: 100% Shiraz 100% from a blend of vineyards

COLOUR: Cinema velvet