The Centre Block is the oldest of the Shiraz Blocks having been planted in 1969. Soils in Centre Block are deep, red sandy clay loams providing large bunches and large berries. This wine is the 4th single block release and displays great elegance with fine tannins. Only 320 cases made!
Tasting Notes > Palate
‘Another landmark wine from a celebrated estate. More than that, this is the latest in a line of Balgownie evolutions (take a bow Tony Winspear). From the oldest plantings on the now 50-year-old Bendigo estate, with 1.5% Viognier in the mix. Spends 24 days on skins with 20% whole bunches, then matured in 20% new oak for 12 months. Pure class. There’s a cascade of flavours here that mark it as the top tier in Vic Shiraz. Pencil shavings. Dark fruit. A passing nod to bacon fat and sage, then a modulated palate with fine-grain tannins and no alcohol excess. This is what mod Australian Shiraz is about – ripeness, unmistakable generosity of flavour, but also delivered with a sense of shape and purpose. Delicious wine. Best drinking: now to twenty years. 18.7/20, 95/100. 14%, $65. Would I buy it Yes’. Oz Wine Review – Andrew Graham August 2020
Winemaking Notes
The fruit consisted of, 20% whole bunch, 25% whole berry with a 1.5% viognier addition with the remainder of the fruit destemmed and partially crushed before being pumped onto open vats for fermentation. Hand plunging and minimal pump overs provided gentle extraction from the skins over 24 days. Once fermented to dryness the wine was pumped into a combination of French oak barriques and puncheons (20% new) where it aged for 12 months prior to being bottled unfined with minimal sulphur additions. After bottling the wine was aged for 2 years in the cellar prior to release.
Reviews: James Halliday Wine Companion. Rating: 95/100
Oz Wine Review
‘Another landmark wine from a celebrated estate. More than that, this is the latest in a line of Balgownie evolutions (take a bow Tony Winspear). From the oldest plantings on the now 50-year-old Bendigo estate, with 1.5% Viognier in the mix. Spends 24 days on skins with 20% whole bunches, then matured in 20% new oak for 12 months. Pure class. There’s a cascade of flavours here that mark it as the top tier in Vic Shiraz. Pencil shavings. Dark fruit. A passing nod to bacon fat and sage, then a modulated palate with fine-grain tannins and no alcohol excess. This is what mod Australian Shiraz is about – ripeness, unmistakable generosity of flavour, but also delivered with a sense of shape and purpose. Delicious wine. Best drinking: now to twenty years. 18.7/20, 95/100. 14%, $65. Would I buy it Yes’.
Rating: 18.7/20
Balgownie Estate Wines was the first vineyard planted in the Bendigo district in more than 80 years and began the re-emergence of Bendigo as a significant area for wine production.
The 33 hectare vineyard is situated on a gentle slope overlooking Myer’s Creek at Maiden Gully. This superb site of alluvial soil has major plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon and shiraz with smaller amounts of pinot noir, chardonnay, merlot, cabernet franc, petit verdot, viognier and sangiovese. Balgownie Estate’s Yarra Valley vineyards were planted in 2002 to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
