First Drop 2018 Fat of the Land Seppeltsfield Barossa Valley (6 Bottles)

AUSTRALIA WIDE SHIPPING INCLUDED

A muscular brooding expression of Barossa Shiraz.

Colour: Dark kirsch
Aroma: Lifted dark cherry aromas with notes of licorice and dark chocolate.
Palate: Flavour packed with kirsch, prunes, dark chocolate and liquorice. Rich and muscular, like Arnold Schwarzenegger.

It’s flavour packed with kirsch, dark chocolate and liquorice. This wine has been matured in 75% new American oak barriques and 25% new American oak barriques for 20 months to further enhance its inherent structure. Built for ageing not for speed, have another look at this sleeper in 10 to 15 years time.

The Barossa is an amazing place with a diverse history from which a great community has grown living o the Fat of the Land. Famed for its Shiraz vineyards, some dating back to the 19th century, the wines from this small, but proud region are as unique and divergent as its history and community. One can make such varied expressions of Shiraz, due to the different meso-climates of each subregion, the elevation range, and the myriad of soil types that are to be found throughout the Barossa. The Fat of the Land series seeks to showcase the sub regions of the Barossa, and the contrasting styles of Shiraz that can be made here.

VINEYARD: North of Seppeltsfield in the west of the Barossa – 285m above sea level on clay over limestone.

VINTAGE 2018: VINTAGE 2018: The growing season pulled out of the station with winter rainfall around 10% higher than average. A dry spring combined with a warmer than average October and November meant the vine canopies grew quickly, and led to a good flowering and set. January and February were warm and dry, with a series of heat events slowing down the pace of ripening. Similar to 2017, March signalled the start of an Indian summer that lasted through into April. These perfect ripening conditions allowed us to pick all our block sat the optimum point, and the resulting wines look the business. 2018 may rank with the best of the decade – 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016. All aboard!

Cellaring
Built for ageing not for speed, have another look at this sleeper in 10 to 15 years time.

VINIFICATION:
The fruit is crushed/destemmed and fermented at temperatures ranging from 20- 25°C for 12 days on skins. The ferment is managed by a variety of techniques, including ‘aerative pump overs’ and ‘drain and returns’ which assist in extracting colour, flavour and tannin from the grapes. At the end of fermentation, it is drained/pressed, and transferred to 50% new American oak barriques, and the balance to 3 and 4 year old French oak hogsheads to undergo MLF. Post MLF, sulphur dioxide is added, and the wines mature sur lie for 20 months. This wine was bottled unfiltered in December 2017.