Wine Code Breaker #281

From the archives of 2019…How can you produce great wine in an area that is considered to be a warm climate region and experiences less than 600 mm rainfall in an average year?  In many parts of the world this would be considered a desert.  The Nagambie Lakes district that forms a sub-region of Central Victoria is just such a region.  As we all know, no water equals no vines equals no grapes equals no wine.  Fortunately, this little patch benefits from the underground water table that sneaks through the region as fed by the rainfall in far away regions.  Another benefit of this region is the sandy soils that the vines stand up in as they have remained largely untouched by phylloxera.  With great care, the red grapes from this region produce wines that are full bodied, boldly structured and marvelously flavoured.  

The 2013 Mitchelton Print Series Shiraz from Central Victoria in Victoria is a brightly coloured crimson with loads of appeal as it is swirled around the glass.  The nose is complex to say the least with plums, spice and black fruits in abundance leaping out of  the glass.  Hints of chocolate, more milk than dark, with alluring vanilla bean notes adding subtlety.  The palate equally matches the nose for complexity and fruit flavours.  Brambly blackberries with coffee and liquorice blend neatly with the bold yet velvety tannins.  All in all it delivers a wonderfully textured wine with depth and persistence that gets close to matching the depth of the roots sneaking through the sandy soils in search of precious water that rarely falls from the sky.

Enjoy!